Do you find yourself constantly overspending? Do you have a hard time sticking to your budget? A few months ago I had an epiphany. I realized there was a reason behind my overspending. I had certain spending triggers that were causing me to constantly overspend.
Check Yourself
I’m just going come right out and say it, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Yes, I did just reference an Ice Cube song. 🙈 But hear me out. There are a number of stores that I personally avoid just because I know I’m going to overspend. Every time I walk into a Target I don’t come out with just one thing. I come out with an entire cart of things. And just like that my budget is just blown. In one hour I can easily blow my entire spending budget for the week.
What Are Your Triggers?
I know that I can’t go to Target unless I’m ready to spend at least $100. Most of the time, I don’t want a one-hour target trip to ruin my entire weekly or monthly budget. I also know that if I’m waiting in a long line to check out at CVS, I’m going to be staring at the candy bars along the checkout aisle. Which means I’m likely going to want to grab one and put it in my cart.
After spending the last 25 years on Earth, I know that there are certain stores and items that cause me to overspend.
Resist Temptations
If you know that there are certain stores or things that causing you to overspend, just cut them out of your life. I actually haven’t been to a Target in 6 months because I know I’m going to overspend. I have #financialgoals that I want to accomplish and I’m not going to let a Target shopping trip get in the way of me and my goals.
Learn to Say No
I’ve also learned that it’s okay to say no. It doesn’t make you a bad person to say no. Saying no to yourself and others makes you responsible. I’ve learned to say no to myself at the checkout line. Although spending a dollar on a candy bar isn’t going to break my budget, it’s an unnecessary expense that isn’t going to lead me towards my #financialgoals.
Spending my weekly shopping allowance on an hour-long Target trip isn’t going to make me happy long-term, either. Like the candy bar, I’m going to feel happy and excited for a few hours after my Target shopping spree. But eventually, the guilt will start to sink in.
Now that I’ve learned to say no and cut out spending triggers, I feel a sense of freedom. I’m not tied down to spending money on things that don’t actually make me happy. Sticking within my budget has given me a newfound sense of contentment. Check out the video below to see how I’ve learned to check myself before I wreck myself.