Track all your purchases for a week and see where you are spending your money and what things can you start to remove from your spending habits like coffee, magazines, candies or other goodies, eating out, accessories for self or home. Start resisting impulse purchases.
Pay bills first thing each pay day - all expenses that are mandatory should be priority #1 - make at least your minimum payment on any debts and pay your full rent and utilities pronto to avoid charges.
Use software or web services to help manage your budget. mint.com
You may need to use webpage blocking software if you use online shopping sites to much. Block these pages if you find yourself unable to resist shopping and spending on them, its truly not important to have the cheapest deal.
Get your needs met - Sleep, Relaxation, fitness, fun - utilize the areas and the things you already have. Learn body weight exercises and some basic meditation tools to allow you to relax better and shut off a busy mind to help sleep, start choosing more water over coffee or sodas. Make sure your diet has an increase of vegetables.
Make a goal and set about achieving it - Whether this is a financial goal or personal make it something measurable and within the scope of yoru ability to do, dream and start setting your resources towards achieving those dreams. Draw it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zESeeaFDVSw
Volunteer someplace that is meaningful to you or contrasts your beliefs. If you have a heart for the underprivileged donate sometime at a food bank or shelter. Are you religous and attend a religious group, give your time for the events they involve themselves in. Are you active, maybe your local gym or yoga studio has a karma position that allows you to donate time to get free classes.
Examine yourself and your life and see why you make the purchases you do. Be real and take this seriously. Stuff will not make you a better person and it wont make you live more comfortably, it is usually masking a deeper issue. Find healthier ways to achieve satisfaction.
Learn what other people use as methods to curb their spending habits and to live comfortably and authentically. Read at least one article per month that brings your attention to money habits and how to spend or save. Visit blogs and inquire to people you admire and trust that seam to have good habits.
WHEN SHOPPING
Give yourself a spending budget each month or each week and put that cash in your wallet so you know exactly what you are able to spend. Seeing it decrease and knowing how much more time you have in the month can instigate you to spend more prudently.
Having something physical wrapped around your debit and credit cards that remind you to question the purchase - whether its in your best interest to be purchasing or not.
http://205.153.117.210/walletbuddy2.pdf
When looking at larger purchases sit on it for a day or up to a month and truly consider whether it is something that you must get, don't do purchases, especially large ones on an impulse!
Use a shopping list. Do not go shopping without first having sat down and made a shopping list. Stick to the list. Don't impulse purchase things. Its valid if its something that you legitimately forgot (hygiene materials, dish soap, garbage bags, etc, KEEP IT REAL!)
Don't shop for fun - Be real with your budget, don't buy things for yourself or others when its out of your means, be prudent, stay out of locations that compel you to purchase, stay off sites that compel you to purchase as well. Let your presence be the gift you give rather than things. Change your life to the positive.
If using your credit line for purchases consider your reality, are you living in a place that is larger than what you actually need, do you have to much stuff that is never used? Start enjoying what you have and downsize where ever possible.
Don't carry your credit cards with you. Keep them at home in a safe place. Only use them in an emergency or if your purchase is truly justified and not on impulse.
I wrote this after reading this article
http://www.mysimplerlife.com/20-tips-to-keep-from-spending-money
http://www.mysimplerlife.com/20-tips-to-keep-from-spending-money
