How to stop spending: 8 ways to save money
It is very tempting to spend when you are trying to work on your financial goals. With the advent of online shopping, all it takes is a click of the mouse or a swipe of a finger and your purchase is on the way. Many shopping sites are making it very easy to save your credit card information and are using adverts to make their products harder to resist.
The good news is, there are things you can do to remove the temptation and stay focused on your goal.
Make a budget before the month ends and before you receive your income and make sure you stick to it.
Cancel subscriptions you are not using. The cable that you barely watch or the gym you have been planning to go to are all recurring expenses that steal your income.
Unsubscribe from newsletters and emails. Those deals that are delivered in your email are a trigger for you to spend. So why not remove the trigger. If you do not know there is a deal, you will not go looking to buy. A good app to use to unsubscribe is unrolled.me app
Use coupons, discount codes and cash back apps to shop. Make sure you are shopping for things that are on your budget. Honey will show you coupons and search other sites for cheaper deals for you. Another site, Rakuten gives you cash back on purchases you make.
Use cash. When you use cash, you feel the weight of your spending. Remove your credit and debit card information that is saved online. When you have to input that information every time, it gives you a few extra seconds to rethink your decision.
Use a shopping list when you go out grocery shopping and never go shopping when you are hungry.
Negotiate your bills with your service providers.Most service providers have loyalty programs for longterm customers or discount programs to keep customers. So before you commit to your next billing cycle, make sure you are asking for a deal. What is the worse that can happen?
Plan meals. Planning meals helps you with your grocery shopping and also reduces impulsive shopping. The random trips to the fast food restaurants because you cannot figure out what to cook is $30 extra dollars you have saved. Plus, you can get the family involved and make it a fun, family bonding activity.