How to control your spending habits

Whether it's small or big purchases that keep throwing off your budget, I have 4 tips on how to control your spending habits. Plus, I made a quick budget sheet printable download for you at the end of this post. If you want to see a video instead of read this post, then check it out here.

1  // USE WISH LISTS

There is so much marketing and advertising out there, and well, just so many good things to buy, we REALLY have to say no to ourselves basically ALL. THE. TIME. I used to make the mistake of thinking I needed something and immediately put it on my SHOPPING list. Once I made the realization that I was buying way too much stuff, I switched to putting these wanted items on my WISH lists. I have a specific list just for things I WANT. Things I NEED go on the shopping list – like food, toothpaste, just all the necessities. Things I WANT are say a new eyeshadow palette. I WANT to try out, but I still have say 10 other eyeshadow palettes to go through. I add it to my WISH list and then I don’t have that anxious feeling that I’ll forget to buy it when I’m ready. So, create a main wishlist for yourself and treat yourself when it is your birthday. Also, on any website you visit often, you can make a favorites or wish list there. The big idea is to get it somewhere that it’s saved, but not on your immediate list to buy on your next shopping trip.
 

2  //  SLEEP ON IT

Sometimes you might see something in a store and are just drawn to it. You think you NEED it. 9 times out of 10, you don’t. The store has designed the placement of that product specifically to draw you to it. The lighting, the colors, all are there to create urgency that you need that product NOW. Don’t fall for it. Go home and think about it overnight – longer if you can. If you forget about it, then it isn’t something you needed in your life. Sometimes I go home and realize I already had something like it and am happy I didn’t buy it. But there are times when it’s a week later and I am STILL thinking about that pretty pair of shoes. THAT’S when you can go back and get them. But using this system of taking time to make your purchases can really reduce the amount of things you bring into your home.
 

3 //  USE CASH

Ok, this sounds old school, but it really works. Use cash over card. Something about seeing the money leave your wallet and giving it to someone else makes it click in your brain that your money is going away for this object in your cart. If you give yourself an allowance in cash, you can SEE the stack of bills physically disappear over the month. Also, this reduces online purchases. Although, they are so convenient, it is SO easy to overspend when purchasing things online.
 

4  //  BUDGET AND PLAN YOUR BIG PURCHASES

Of course, you should have a budget and I’m not going to go into details on that, but I did create a printable budget sheet if you need one and I will leave the link below the video. Knowing how much you bring in and how much you spend should be a given. So, you know approximately how much you have to spend on groceries. But what about those big unexpected purchases? You should build in a buffer to your budget for something like car repairs but if you don’t end up needing a car repair, you could use that for something bigger you’ve been wanting – you know…like something off your wish list. J If you make room in your budget for the big spends, you can see over the long run what you’re going to spend money on and determine what it is that’s worth saving up for. You can do this monthly or set up a plan for the year and reward yourself when those dates come around.

So there were a couple tips to help control your spending. If you liked this video and want to see more like it, please give it a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button. thanks for watching and have a happy day!

Free printable budget sheet

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