Hey everyone,
I’ve got a bit of a problem with overspending and could really use some help. I keep finding myself blowing through my budget and not sure where it’s all going. Any advice on how to get my spending under control or tips for budgeting better?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Hey there. You can start by paying all your monthly/weekly bills in general. It is a trick that has helped me because I also was bad with budgeting.
Once you have learnt about paying your bills, even overspending wont be at the expense of an unpaid bill
Honestly, keeping cash in a safe worked for me. I saved my first thousand dollars this way. There’s something about having a stack of hundreds that’s really appealing—much more so than just seeing numbers on a screen.
When I’m down to my last hundred in the safe, I can physically see the money and if I want to buy something, I have to break that $100 bill. I really don’t want to, so I end up not spending it. On the other hand, if I see that last $100 on my phone, I’m more likely to buy a $2 soda or spend a few dollars on something else. It’s easy to think “it’s just a few bucks,” but those small purchases add up quickly, and before you know it, that $100 has dwindled to just $3.
Cash leaving your hand feels much more painful than swiping or tapping with a card—notice how payment methods have sped up so you don’t dwell on the purchase as much.
Cash is slow and makes you think. It’s physical, and you’re literally handing it over. Debit and credit cards are so fast now that you can tap and go, barely feeling the impact of your spending.
Make a budget each month for the things you need and want to treat yourself to with the extra cash.
Another option is to save any extra cash after meeting your needs for a one-of-a-kind item that will take several months to save.
I’ve been attempting to save money by constantly depositing all of my spare change, such as nickels and dimes, into a “piggy bank.”
You’re getting a serotonin rush from acquiring a new item, but once the novelty wears off, you need to acquire another and so on.
Try figuring out cheaper/free things that make you happy. You like to buy books, actually read them. Go for a hike, pick up a cheap-ish hobby like knitting or drawing.
Maybe try transitioning to only using cash, and only having so much physical cash per pay period, and once you’ve spent that, no more non necessities