Keeping yourself on budget can be quite the challenge when you’ve never had to count your pennies before. Even once you’ve decided on a specific budget, there are quite a few things that can derail your efforts when it comes to paying off your debts and saving money. These tips on how to stick with your budget are a great first step.
Know Your Needs
Many of us grew up in a time of consumerism and unprecedented wealth. Unfortunately, this has skewed our vision of our most important and basic needs. Those things like expensive perfumes, big cars, computers and phones are all luxuries as opposed to necessities and should only be indulged in when they fit into the budget. Just keep in mind that the things we truly need are things like shelter, water, and food. Anything else can wait for the money in the budget.
Just Say No
Our brains are created in such a way that we rarely find ourselves comfortable with the things we have. However, saying no goes beyond material possessions. For example, if you’re one who enjoys going out and party every weekend, you might need to curb that habit. It can be a very expensive habit that can derail your budget quickly. If you’re having trouble saying no, click here to learn more about how to get help.
As far as material things go, we tend to crave more, and this is especially true when we see our friends and colleagues using things we don’t have yet. This means that saying no when things don’t fit into your budget is important here too.
Stay Away from Money Sinks
What is a money sink? It’s anything that you buy that actually slowly drains your money while not adding a whole lot to your life. Things like recurring subscription fees and shopping online are habits that can be stopped. The easiest way to resist temptation is to avoid sites where you can spend money. Remember that there are plenty of free and legal sites that are there to entertain you, without you feeling the need to click the pay button.
Cheap Fun
One fallacy that sprouted from the consumerism mindset is that you need to spend a lot of money on entertainment. Fun can be cheap and even free and often it’s the best kind to have. There are all sorts of things you can do even if your budget is low. Get involved with your community, explore parks or flea markets, hike in the mountains nearby or just go for a walk with the kids. If you know where to look, there are typically all sorts of things that are both cheap and fun going on in every city.
Remember that if you don’t have ways of resisting consumerism and you just don’t have any idea of how to stop spending and stay on budget, you can always get help from a professional financial planner. They can show you exactly how to live a happier, better life while staying on budget.
