How to stick to a Budget?

[ergo2]

$150 on clothes sounds bad to me. not sure where you live , but you could try stores like Value Village which would save alot. also i would suggest not going out to eat.

and lastly learn to cook. you would be surprised how cheap simple foods can taste.

good luck

[bd42]

$150 on clothes sounds bad to me. not sure where you live , but you could try stores like Value Village which would save alot. also i would suggest not going out to eat.

and lastly learn to cook. you would be surprised how cheap simple foods can taste.

good luck

OMG I love value village,so does my 17 year old daughter..I just got a really nice and fashionable spring coat three days ago for $7.99

OHHHH and my best buy? not sure how many here are familiar with Antique mourning jewlery ( I use to sell antique jewels on Ebay)but I snagged this Mourning pin,from about 1890's for $2.99!!!! its well worth about $150 Canadian. Not sure I am going to sell it tho as Period mourning jewelry isnt easy tio find in mint condition

:one man's junk is another man's treasure!:

[FallenPixels]

I take out so much money a week and when its gone ...its gone!!! I go to the bank to do the withdrawl and dont carry my bank card. If you make it more inconvenient to get at your money, it doesnt seem to dissapear as fast.

same here - I have a credit card with just a $300 credit limit in case of a real emergency and leave everything else at home

[rachel1496]

Stick with cash. Every pay take out as much cash as you need for groceries etc; and then give your cards to someone that you trust so that you don't have access to them. When the money is gone, it's gone.

[osrs]

My problem is when I use the cash/envelop system I end up finishing the money for week 1 on the 4th of each month and go to envelop 2 which should be for the second week of the month....Heeeelp I'm so at my self for doing this.

[Littlemoe0]

I do the cash system for shopping as well, and try to stay away from Walmart and Dollarstore unless we do need something, birthday cards and presents, things like that. Many times we spend on things we don't need, so I try to avoid those places.

[jaba]

Don't leave the house.

that's the only thing that has helped me, whenever I leave the house I buy something, damn clearance sections lol

[bug]

Part willpower? Don't buy things you don't need or don't really like.

I'm really proud of myself. As you probably know, Gap/ON are offering 30% off this weekend. Well, I went today and didn't buy anything!! I almost did because things were "on sale", "cheap", and a "good deal". But the thing is - I won't even have considered buying if not for this sale...meaning I do not even like the clothing in question that much. So I walked away with nothing (but money in my pocket)!!!

[Ashley01]

I have NO will power! None what so ever how do I fix it lol

[bug]

I have NO will power! None what so ever how do I fix it lol

In this situation, one solution (as suggested by others) is to limit the means you have to buy things impulsively. Don't carry charge cards, and carry only a small amount of cash intended for emergencies only.

I find I am more willing to spend coins - a toonie here and there really adds up. However, I am reluctant to break a twenty or ten, so I try not to carry coins and keep them in a collections bucket.

Is there any way you can work on having more willpower? Maybe think about your purchases more before you buy? Why you want it, why you need it, and do you even like it? In the past, I've bought things I don't even really like just because it was on sale.

For some things, you can ask the store to hold the item for you. One, this gives you time to think about your purchase. Two, it creates extra work for you and you might decide the items are not worth it.

But in the end, you have to work on willpower / limit things that enable your impulsivity because as you probably know, self-created barriers can be overcome when one is desperate for a "fix". Sometimes when I have bought something I really shouldn't have, I'll return it to get rid of the regret ... so always keep your receipts.

[vibrantflame]

Not sure if anyone else suggested this but here's my ideas. And by the way, I do understand....I can't stop going to Timmie's for tea even though I *know* I could use that money for much better things!

Take only the amount of cash you need to the grocery store. That way, when the money is gone, it's gone and you can't buy any "impulse" purchases. And if you do, you'll learn quick when you have no food

Make a meal plan for the week. This allows you to find creative ways to use what you already have on hand and the real bonus is it'll prevent you from running out to the drive through because you're hungry and don't know what to eat

Don't leave the house hungry! I can't count the number of times we've went to a doctor's appointment or something without packing a lunch and then ended up hitting the drive through because we were hungry. And with a hungry little boy and a husband who almost always orders two burgers, there is $30 down the drain!!

Don't buy something just because it's a good deal. This is a really tough one, I know I have had to hold myself back sometimes. But if you don't really have the money for it, then it's not a good deal.

Set money aside. What I have been doing (although not lately and I need to get back on track), is every time my husband gets paid, I take a certain amount of money out in cash and put it somewhere in my house. Keeping it in the bank, even in a separate account, doesn't work so great because it's too much of a temptation to spend it. It's up to you to decide how much you want to set aside, and try to put it somewhere where you won't think about it. Pretend like it's not there! I've saved up for some major purchases that way.

Hope this helps!

[vibrantflame]

But in the end, you have to work on willpower / limit things that enable your impulsivity because as you probably know, self-created barriers can be overcome when one is desperate for a "fix". Sometimes when I have bought something I really shouldn't have, I'll return it to get rid of the regret ... so always keep your receipts.

Excellent point! Although DH would disagree, he's always having to talk me into keeping things that I buy for myself because I'm always trying to return them....(but honey, I don't need new pants, I still have that pair with the hole in the crotch no one can see....)