Are you frantic to find a way to curb your spending? If you are, you’re not alone. On thing the ongoing credit crisis in the US has shown us is that many people are struggling with the idea of controlling their spending. While no method of getting your finances under control is fool-proof, here are a few tips you might use to curb your impulse to spend.
Don’t keep excess funds in your checking account. One of my favorite ways to keep from spending money is to pretend like I don’t have any. When I was in college, I got used to the idea of having no extra cash. As I got older and started having money in my checking account, I went a little crazy. I thought having a few dollars meant I could go shopping. Now, though, I see where I went wrong. I transfer any excess money into a savings account and pretend that I’m still a poor college student.
Leave the credit cards at home. Have you ever seen something at a shop that you didn’t really need, but it was such a bargain that you just had to buy it? I’ve fallen victim to this idea many times. How often, though, would you have gone back to the store to buy the item? If you don’t have your credit card with you, you can’t make unplanned purchase.
Convert a purchase into hours worked. If a new set of dishes is calling your name, stop for a moment and consider how many hours you will have to work to pay for those dishes. They may not be as attractive when you realize that you have to work for an entire day to pay for them.
Avoid temptation. The best way I’ve found to avoid spending money is to avoid circumstances where I might be tempted to make unplanned purchases. Stop browsing around stores just to look around. Throw out those mail catalogues as soon as you get them. If you can avoid the occasion to spend money, you may find it much easier to keep it in your pocketbook.
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