Lifestyle | Why I'm on a spending ban - Tips & Tricks

I love shopping and tbh I'm actually rather good at it! That must sound strange, but I am! I get the psychology of shops, how layouts create a purchase trail, how the use of plush carpets makes it harder to walk quickly so forces you to walk slower and admire products for longer, how the newest and normally most expensive products are displayed on the right hand side of the store (the invariant right), how the mirrors in the changing room distort your image making you appear thinner and taller etc. I get them all and I fool for them all every-time! As much as I love shopping I also have a great desire to save money and hopefully afford my own property in the future, so I have now properly decided that it's time to cut back on unnecessary expenditure and here's why and how I'll do it!

Why Should I Save?

When trying to convince myself that this was the way to go, I made a little list of the reasons I'd benefit from not buying that new make-up palette everybody's talking about!

I want to save money

An obvious one but I want to and need to save money in order to be able to get bigger things in the future, like a house etc

I don't need anything

Honestly, I have everything I could possibly need and I may want for things on the daily but I don't often actually need something, food aside.

I want to minimise the amount of stuff I have

I love simple layouts in rooms and clutter free spaces and when I recently moved flat I realised just how much stuff I have accumulated!

Appreciate what I have and use what I have more

Especially when it comes to clothes I don't even have enough days off work to wear all of my clothes and I am guilty of having a few items in my wardrobe which still have the labels on.

And if this wasn't enough to convince you to start saving money then a little bit of scaring yourself into never spending again is rather helpful! Try out the Demotivator calculator HERE, you put in the amount of money you spend on certain products and how often you spend that amount, then you write how much you earn and it calculates how much you're spending in a year on that item and how many weeks of work you have to do to pay it off! Now with everything I buy I calculate how much that is in work hours and that for me is the best way to convince myself that I don't need another pair of shoes!

How Can I Save ?

So now that you've committed to spending less or perhaps even gone completely cold turkey, it's important to remember to still have a life as you don't want to sacrifice your health and well being in this saving process. Here are a few tips and tricks I am living by which you may find helpful!

Avoid the Shops

The easiest way not to buy something is to just not go to the shops! If you're having a day out plan it so you don't end up just mooching about as if you're an impulse purchase kinda gal, then issues will occur.

Gift Buying

When it comes to having to buy gifts set yourself a strict budget and if you have a creative skill try and make gifts too!

Know your triggers

Everyone has little triggers which makes them want to spend, it could be a bad day, a good day, a friend,  reading blogs or trying to live a lifestyle you can't really afford to. It's important to acknowledge these and spot them when they're making you spend.

Shop you own wardrobe

It isn't much fun without the addition of a new top to style but you can spend a day completely emptying your wardrobe and going through everything you own and have a styling session. Think about mixing different styles together and layering items.

Reward Yourself

So we are going on a spending ban but perhaps a reward or a goal to work towards is the best way to encourage you. This could be going for a meal with a friend or actually saying at the end of the month if I don't buy anything I can buy one thing on my wishlist which is under £set amount. This gives you a purchase to look forward to and means you have the entire month to really think what you'd love to own. 

Use Cash

Use the envelope cash method and don't buy anything unnecessary on card, this means you have to physically see and feel your money going down which is the perfect way to make you not want to spend!

Keep Track

Keeping track of what you're spending is a obviously the best way to know what money you have in your account but it's also a great way to see daily how much you're spending and on what and if you can cut this down. I do this by writing in my calendar the amount I spent each day and what on.

Save don't splurge

Instead of being sucked into an impulse purchase look at the price tag and put that money into your savings account, easy, and you'll soon see how all of the little purchases add up.

Make it at home

There's lots of things you could easily make at home for half the cost or for free if someone else does the food shop! 

Creative day out!

Having a strict budget doesn't mean you have to sit at home all day, you just need to be more creative when it comes to planning days out. When it comes to the Summer there are tons of free outdoor events in London, in the colder months it is that bit difficult but museums are your best bet!

So there we are that's my little round up on why I'm on a spending ban and how I'm going to survive it! I'd love to know if you're trying to cut back and if you have any great tips which could help me and my readers.

KEEP SMILING