Keeping to a budget
You've done your homework, made the calculations and now have set up a budget. So much money is put aside for bills, so much money is allocated for food, clothes and so forth. Yet despite all this you find yourself caving in and over spending, buying that purse you really want or a new dress. Perhaps its simply being a bad run of bills or if you are like me, have people with birthdays that all seem to hit about the same time. The November, December period for me is expensive with four birthdays as well as Christmas to cater for. I'm already trying to save up for it.
Hopefully you are continuing to keep a record of all your purchases and there for know exactly which area is causing the most problem. The simplest solution is simply to adjust your budget to take into account hidden expences but impulse spending needs to be nipped in the bud. The brand new purse can wait a few weeks extra on the shelf, something to motivate and treat yourself with if your succeed with your goals.
Learning to curb that instant need to buy now is a lot harder to manage. Turning your back and walking out of the store that very first time can be one of the hardest and most gut wrenching experiences to do. Some people recommend that you simply go away for a coffee break and go back later if you still want to but I usually found the 'cooling off' period simply gave me time to justify why I needed it and how I could afford it anyway.
If you are one of those who are successful with the coffee break method then that's fine but if you are like me, then you probably actually need to go back to your car and drive home and do something else. My best method of not buying involves not going into the shops unless I actually need something and clutching my list tightly, making sure I spend as little time in the store as possible and only looking at what I need and only buying what is on the list.
Doing this can initially be hit and miss as something does catch your eye and you find resolve fades. This might be the time to go pay for what items you've got and head for the car again if you possibly can. If you can learn to turn your back and walk away before the temptation get to you, it starts to get easier over time to ignore temptation completely and manage to continue on. If you do this, don't go back and look at at item again. Keep firmly away.
Turning away from wanted items can be a lot harder when your with friends. One of the reason I actually almost never do it unless it is for a special occation. Of course some can turn just about anything into a special occation. Birthday, new job, the weekend, girl's day out. Might be time to say no to some of these offers, or at least offer a alternative. A lunch at a cafe, a movie, a day at the beach.
Everyone has their own trap and for me that was and is console games. Learning to walk past the shop or area of the store is one of the first big steps of controlling your spending. If you never see it, you are never tempted to buy in the first place. As hard as it can be, try not to look into shop windows or enter into shops unless you have to. Part of the trick can be to never be tempted.
Avoiding items like chocolate and biscuits when food shopping can be just as hard and twice as daunting but if your food bill is coming out to high, then nipping out the more luxury items in your food bill might be the way to go and has the added bonus of improving your diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper in the long run. As is going to that bit of extra time an effort of making your own cakes and slices and if you stick to the idea of never eating something you haven't made yourself, it not only regulates biscuits to their proper role of occational indulgence but once you find out how much sugar and butter goes into your favorite snacks might help stop you from buying and eating them in the future and making healthier food choices.
The only real way to keep a budget is to keep trying until you hit the correct money mark and then if you are smart and determined, you actually lower the bar to a new mark to lower your expenditure to. This way you can not only always have the money you need but save money up over time. Try not to spend it foolishly, now that you can afford to again.
Hopefully you are continuing to keep a record of all your purchases and there for know exactly which area is causing the most problem. The simplest solution is simply to adjust your budget to take into account hidden expences but impulse spending needs to be nipped in the bud. The brand new purse can wait a few weeks extra on the shelf, something to motivate and treat yourself with if your succeed with your goals.
Learning to curb that instant need to buy now is a lot harder to manage. Turning your back and walking out of the store that very first time can be one of the hardest and most gut wrenching experiences to do. Some people recommend that you simply go away for a coffee break and go back later if you still want to but I usually found the 'cooling off' period simply gave me time to justify why I needed it and how I could afford it anyway.
If you are one of those who are successful with the coffee break method then that's fine but if you are like me, then you probably actually need to go back to your car and drive home and do something else. My best method of not buying involves not going into the shops unless I actually need something and clutching my list tightly, making sure I spend as little time in the store as possible and only looking at what I need and only buying what is on the list.
Doing this can initially be hit and miss as something does catch your eye and you find resolve fades. This might be the time to go pay for what items you've got and head for the car again if you possibly can. If you can learn to turn your back and walk away before the temptation get to you, it starts to get easier over time to ignore temptation completely and manage to continue on. If you do this, don't go back and look at at item again. Keep firmly away.
Turning away from wanted items can be a lot harder when your with friends. One of the reason I actually almost never do it unless it is for a special occation. Of course some can turn just about anything into a special occation. Birthday, new job, the weekend, girl's day out. Might be time to say no to some of these offers, or at least offer a alternative. A lunch at a cafe, a movie, a day at the beach.
Everyone has their own trap and for me that was and is console games. Learning to walk past the shop or area of the store is one of the first big steps of controlling your spending. If you never see it, you are never tempted to buy in the first place. As hard as it can be, try not to look into shop windows or enter into shops unless you have to. Part of the trick can be to never be tempted.
Avoiding items like chocolate and biscuits when food shopping can be just as hard and twice as daunting but if your food bill is coming out to high, then nipping out the more luxury items in your food bill might be the way to go and has the added bonus of improving your diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper in the long run. As is going to that bit of extra time an effort of making your own cakes and slices and if you stick to the idea of never eating something you haven't made yourself, it not only regulates biscuits to their proper role of occational indulgence but once you find out how much sugar and butter goes into your favorite snacks might help stop you from buying and eating them in the future and making healthier food choices.
The only real way to keep a budget is to keep trying until you hit the correct money mark and then if you are smart and determined, you actually lower the bar to a new mark to lower your expenditure to. This way you can not only always have the money you need but save money up over time. Try not to spend it foolishly, now that you can afford to again.