We love to spend. We love to spend too much at times. This is one of the major reasons why we find ourselves in a financial mess. A spending freeze is an amazing tool to keep you from spending money. The problem is that it’s not an easy thing to do for many of us. Here are helpful ways to keep you from spending money.
7 Ways To Keep You From Spending Money
Avoid looking at sale ads or deal blogs.
Don’t give in to temptation by looking at weekly ads from your favorite stores or taking a peek at deal blogs. Remember, we are avoiding spending money; and by looking at great deals, we may give in to temptation.
Unsubscribe to store blogs and deal blogs.
Every day I get tons of emails from my favorite retailers and deal blogs. I love saving money and I love scoring deals. During this time, you are avoiding overspending money by unsubscribing to these type of emails; it’s the best way to go.
Write a journal.
This might sound dumb to some of you, but the reality is that when you write things down, it kind of makes it real for us. When you have the urge to spend money on things you don’t need, write it down and ask yourself why you want to spend. This is a great way to hold yourself accountable as well.
If you need to spend, spend smart.
Always shop with a list. Always shop the sales. When in doubt, ask yourself these questions:
- Can I get this item cheaper or free?
- Do I really need this item?
- Can I survive without this item?
You will be surprised how many times you will end up not purchasing the items in question.
Keep yourself busy.
Stop thinking about spending your money by keeping yourself busy. Go for walks, clean your house, read a book, etc. Remember that avoiding spending money is not a curse, it’s a way to help you find yourself and fix your finances. There are other important things in life than spending money.
Find ways to make money.
If you can’t spend money, then make money. Now by doing this, I don’t mean make money to just go spend it. Take the time to find ways to make money and keep you from spending it. Keep yourself busy by searching around your home for items you no longer need that you can get rid of and get cash instead.
Change your mentality from spending money, to making money during this time. You will be surprised how much fun it is and how easy it can be!
Invite others to join the fun!
There are many blogs who host ‘no spending money challenges’ and some of them can be fun. When you are surrounded by like-minded individuals, you increase your chance of succeeding and have the opportunity of learning from one another. You never know, maybe you will find you are a bit competitive and will find others that will challenge you.
Everyone is able to successfully quit overspending in order to really learn their finances and take control of them. A spending freeze, or spending zero challenges, don’t have to be dull and miserable if you implement these helpful ways to keep you from overspending.
