Knowing how to manage your money and spend on the necessary things is a life skill everyone should have. If you can save a buck in this hard economy and avoid overspending, it will go an awfully long way.
While it is easy to say that you will make better money decisions, it is not easy to actualize it. We will share a few tips with you here to help you cut down on spending this month. Follow through to learn one or two things about overcoming bad money habits.
1. Use Prepaid Cards with a Spending Tracker
Prepaid cards are the best because they allow you to use the money you already have. The good thing about certain prepaid cards is that they also have additional features like a spending tracker and alert notifications when you reach your spending limit.
Netspend offers reliable prepaid debit cards that will help you manage your spending habits and control how much money you waste. Such debit cards also have no monthly fees, making them convenient to use and have.
2. Take Time Before Making Any Purchases Online
Patience is not something that comes easily to everyone. However, it is a virtue that could save you from many messes, including financial ones. Impulse buyers normally lack patience and therefore want to buy everything they come across at that time.
If you have been struggling with impulse buying, then it’s time you practiced a little patience. Whenever you see something you like online or in a physical shop, take some time to think about it and determine whether it’s something you actually need.
When shopping online, you can do that by putting the items in your cart but not checking out. You can also add them to your wishlist and wait until you have planned for the purchase to pay for it.
3. Disable One-click Buying
One-click buying is convenient but also contributes to overspending. The stores that offer that feature want to make it easy for you to shop so that you can fill your cart with things you do not need and check out in a single step.
However, that would only work in your favor if you buy things you need and have planned for. Therefore, disabling the feature is the first step toward controlling your shopping impulses. A more complicated buying process might make you reconsider, especially if they are not urgent.
4. Remove Saved Credit Card Information Online
Saving your credit card information is also very convenient because you do not have to cram or keep checking your card when you want to buy something online. That means you will not buy things you do not need because getting your card every time takes work.
Getting your card will be easy if you desperately need something. Delete the credit card information on all your browsers today to avoid being tempted to overspend.
5. Mute Deals and Discount Notifications
Marketers have genius ways of making customers shop even when they do not need something. If you have subscribed to the mailing list of your favorite stores, you might be unable to stop overspending due to the constant deal alerts.
The best way to avoid such temptations is to either unsubscribe to the discount and coupon emails and messages or mute the notifications. That way, you can only check for deals when you need them.
Final Thoughts on Avoiding Overspending
Getting rid of your bad spending habits is not easy, but once mastered, it can take you to a new financial security level. Follow the tips above and make a conscious decision to end your bad money habits this month.
