Do you spend your money as quickly as you get it? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Do you wish you could just save more money? Well, I used to feel the same exact way. I had no idea where my money was going. Then, I figured out how to stop spending, and today I’m going to tell you how you can do it too.
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This post is for you if you’re spending too much money and can’t seem to stop. Just follow the steps I outline below. Even if it seems unnecessary to you right now. Follow these 3 steps and you will be able to make a change.
YOU NEED A REASON
I don’t think that anyone is going to just stop spending money. If you want to make the change, you’re going to need to get motivated! Find your personal motivation.
Maybe you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Or maybe there’s something big that you’re wanting to pay for. Personally, I curbed my spending habit when I was saving for my wedding.
Even if it is a short term goal, you’ll find that learning better money habits will probably have a lasting result because once you have the skills to be financially successful you are much more likely to use them.
Read The First Step to Saving More Money to learn how to create financial goals.
If you’re not sure how to set your goal should be, this post about setting achievable financial goalscan help.
PLAN FOR SUCCESS
Once you’re motivated to save, you need to come up with a plan. How are you going to actually limit your spending?
Decide how much you want to save to reach your goal and then plan backwards to see how much you’ll need to save each week.
For example, if I need to save $1,000 and I have 15 weeks to save, I’ll need to save about $67 a week.
How to Create a Savings Schedule you can stick to will help you figure out how much you need to save.
Then, make a list of reasonable places that you can cut back. If you’re not sure where to start this post with 39 strategies to cut expenses will steer you in the right direction.
And do yourself a favor. Grab your free copy of the Expense Cutting Workbook. It will walk you through a simple process for lowering your monthly costs and saving more money. Empower yourself to make this big change and get this free tool now.
PUT IT INTO ACTION
Now that you’ve created a strong plan, make sure that you actually stick to it!
Make sure you avoid temptation.
That means you’ll want to avoid stores as much as possible.
If you’re always stopping at a certain store that you pass by on your way home from work, you may even want to change your route.
When you do go into a store for essential purchases (like groceries) stick to your list!
If you’re finding that food is costing you too much, you should read 3 Simple Steps to get your Food Costs Under Control.
Limit online shopping as well. Block tempting websites from your computer and phone and resist the urge to unblock them.
Related: 5 Tips to Spend Less on Groceries
You may also want to consider cutting expenses beyond your day-to-day shopping. Think about lowering your bills or trying a spending freeze.
Every few weeks, reflect on your progress and make adjustments to your plan as needed.
FINALLY STOP SPENDING
Now it’s time to take charge of your life and your wallet. You know how to stop spending, all that’s left to do is finally stop spending!
Start by giving yourself a solid reason to stop overspending. Make a plan for success and then put it into action.
You can absolutely do this!
Psst… Want to save even more? Hop on my email list here. It’s my favorite place to give you money saving tips and insights that I just don’t share anywhere else. Plus you’ll get lots of free financial tools just for signing up.
Keep reading. Here are some of my best posts:
3 Tips to cut your Electric Bill in Half
2 Ways to Pay Off Debt: which one is right for you?
How to Analyze and Cut Expenses
5 Tips to Stop Fighting about Money
You can read more about my story here: A Spender and A Saver Fall in Love
