Controlling your spending habits gives you more financial freedom.
The book I’m Broke! The Money Handbook, says: “The more you know about money, the more of it you’ll have for the things you want-now and in the future.”
What are some benefits of controlling your spending?
You will have more money when you need it. Have a goal in mind. Is there a trip, event, or large purchase you want to make? Set money aside each month and once you have the money saved, you can make the purchase.
You will reduce or eliminate debt all together. Debt can overtake us, it can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. So eliminating our debt can be emotionally freeing.
You will have more emotional freedom. You won’t be stressed over how to pay for the credit card bill, car repairs or other emergencies. When you have the money set aside for these instances you turn emergencies into inconveniences.
Do you have a spending weakness?
Without judgement, do a spending self evaluation.
- Are you always running out of money before your next paycheck?
- Do you know where all the money went?
- Are you tracking your income and expenses? Do you have a budget?
- Are you sticking to your budget?
- What are your triggers for online shopping or impulse buying?
- Review your purchases for the last week or two, how much of if was impulse purchases or extra entertainment?
Have a good plan for your money
- Create a budget and diligently stick to it. This is an important key to success. Plan ahead before spending.
- Avoid going into debt, make sure you are saving money each month for emergencies as well as bigger purchases.
- Use cash whenever possible. It is easy to fall into the “invisible money” trap. When we don’t see the money leaving our wallets it is easy to keep spending and over spend. (i.e. debit and credit card purchases) When possible use cash.
Set up your budget. Make sure to write down all of you expenses, no matter how small they seem. Tracking expenses monthly will help you figure your money is going and you can use that as a template to create your budget for the next month. No two months will be exactly the same. Make sure to include, food, gas, clothing, rent/mortgage, car payments, entertainment and the like.
Use the envelope system. Put the cash in each envelope for the category, if the envelope becomes empty, either stop spending in that category, or you will have to cut back in another category and transfer the money to the other envelope.
Make adjustments. There may have been times when things such as cable TV, going out to eat, fun shopping trips or other things were affordable. Circumstances change, so we need to be willing to make adjustments to our spending habits and really evaluate what things are necessities and what things are wants or luxuries.
Evaluate view of possessions. Possessions don’t bring true, satisfying happiness. Being appreciative and thankful what we do have can bring us the greatest satisfaction and happiness.
Avoid going into debt. If at all possible avoid using credit cards. If you have credit card debt, set up a repayment plan and stick to it. One study suggests that when using a credit card, people are more apt to spend more. So if at all possible, avoid using them.
What is your financial attitude?
Be a diligent worker and plan for your financial future. Don’t just leave it to chance.
Work hard. Be diligent, dependable and industrious. Be dependable in your job.
Be honest. Do not try to shortcut when it comes to reporting your income, or even your hours worked at your job. Dishonestly could ruin your reputation and make finding future employment difficult.
Avoid greed. Have a balanced view of money. We need money to survive and pay for things in life, but we must keep it in is proper place. If we don’t, it can damage our health and relationship with others. There is more to life than money.
It is time to stop asking, “Why can’t I figure out this budget on my own?” and instead start asking, “Who can help me?”
I can help you. Click HERE to see my calendar and schedule a free consultation. You 100% deserve to feel confident and in control of your finances!