9 sure ways to overcome & cut your spending habit!

Are you a spender? An impulse shopper? Shopaholic? Maybe your finances are out of whack, or maybe you’re budgeting and saving for that house…whatever it be, you can overcome your shopping addiction. How can I be so sure? Because you’re [virtually] looking at a recovering shopaholic. There I said it. [phew]

I can count on one hand how many times I’ve admitted that out loud. You see, for about the past 15 years, I’ve battled with bouts of depression and just unsteady emotional issues. Just like any girl, I’ve dealt with feelings of guilt, anger, insecurity…and for many years I found a temporary bandage for this….shopping…

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Each and every time I went shopping [mostly alone] it allowed me to ‘zone out’ and push aside the negative emotions I was feeling. I was able to just be and focus only on the merchandise…the products, the sales, the displays, the fashion, the look. It was my escape.

But, fast forward time, and now I stand before you a wife, a mother, the backbone of my family. And this behavior simply won’t do. How can I trash our finances this way? Be so frivolous? How will my shopping decisions impact my family and me 3 months or 3 years from now? Most importantly, don’t I want to set a healthy example for my children?

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A resounding YES for me please…and if its a HELL YES for you too, can we make a promise and commitment right now? Lets BOLDLY proclaim that we will persevere in this situation and have a positive testimony to share-not a never-ending trial!

Here are 9 different things that have helped me shop less and shop more intentionally:

Set a budget:

So important, if this isn’t set…you’ll feel as if you have no limits and won’t be cautious with how much is being spent

Carry cash:

Simple- you can’t overspend what you don’t have! This’ll surely help with budgeting as you shop

Make a list:

This one is crucial- shop. search. leave. Find what you’re purchasing, nothing more…pay and leave. Period!

family saving money

Unsubscribe from emails:

Such a huge one, if you aren’t aware of ‘sales’ and ‘discounts’ you won’t feel the urge or impulse to ‘save’ and shop!

Avoid impulse sections:

You know what I mean, those sections that shops strategically place with HUGE sale signs [we used to call them end-caps] and truly just any section that’s a ‘button pusher’ for you…be it the jewelry section, the clearance aisle, or ‘snacks’ section. AVOID IT! [The latter two are were my weaknesses]

Give yourself a time limit:

This one is super helpful because it truly doesn’t give you the option to just ‘take a quick look’. When you’re on the clock, you’re on a mission!

Get accountability:

There’s just nothing like having someone check on you. Someone to hold you accountable to your word. Find someone you admire and ask them to hold you accountable with this journey to freedom!

Question yourself:

Always ask yourself, whether you truly need this item or merely want it…are you buying this because you can use it now or just because it’s a ‘good sale”? Can this wait? Will you get buyers’ remorse?

Avoid clearance racks and sections:

MY OH MY, just walk away!…….

What are your BEST tips to avoid overspending?

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