5 Simple Ways to Break Your Overspending Habit – Our Guide
June 13, 2019Budgeting – Drawing a Line Between a Want and a Need
June 26, 2019If you’re reading this now, congratulations! Wanting to learn about ways to save means you’re taking the necessary steps toward your financial goals. There are a lot of practical and simple ways to save at least 10 bucks a day—or even more. Read on and follow these tips to get started!
Give yourself time to think about a purchase.
It’s normal to be tempted to buy something. For instance, you might have been thinking about buying a new laptop for a while now before spotting one of the latest units from your favourite manufacturer at the store. You have enough cash in your debit account to buy it or you have a credit card with you. Many of us would then think, why not reward my hard working self?
Now, hold on. Before you ask the sales assistant to ring one up for you, take a moment to think. Go home for now and give yourself at least 24 hours to decide whether or not it’s the right time to make the purchase. Do you really need it or do you simply want to buy it? Is your current laptop unusable to the point of needing a replacement now? If after a day or two you’re still thinking about the item you want to buy, then perhaps it’s the right time to take the plunge.
Giving yourself time to think about a purchase keeps you from making an impulse buy.
Don’t give up what you like, but don’t splurge, either.
If you’re an avid reader and one who is in the habit of buying a few new books every month, see if you can visit your local library to check for books that you haven’t read yet. You might also find a title that you’d like from Amazon’s collection of free Kindle books. Maybe you can borrow or switch old books for new ones, too. If your guilty pleasure is coffee, instead of getting your dose from Starbucks, opt to make your own at home and bring it to work with you in a thermos. If you’re on the go, look for a cheaper alternative.
You see, you don’t have to stop yourself from enjoying the things you love. You just need to look for less expensive ways to do so.
Go to the mall or supermarket ONLY when you need to.
We get it. Sometimes, it just feels good to spend your free time at the mall when you get bored at home. However, all kinds of temptations are there, from things to buy and food to eat. Instead of shopping, why not invite friends over for a chat? You can also go for a walk or jog in the park. Reading a book is nice, too. These are simple ways to spend your spare time productively without spending unnecessarily.
Pack your lunch.
Eating out is not only expensive. It can also be unhealthy. When you prepare your own food and pack some to work or school, you can save a lot in the long run. You also get to make healthier food choices.
Cancel memberships and subscriptions you don’t use often.
Are you still subscribed to cable TV in the time of online streaming? How often do you get to watch TV at home anyway? You might be paying for your monthly cable subscription without fully maximizing it. Do you have a gym membership? How often do you go to the gym anyway? If the answer is rarely, consider cancelling your gym membership and doing home exercises or looking for free exercise alternatives instead.
DebtHelpers.ca provide personal debt relief solutions – get in touch today to see how we can help.