Stop Spending Before It Starts

If you’re trying to live a frugally, I do not recommend window shopping, whether at the mall or online. This type of recreational shopping can quickly break your budget—or your frugal mindset. If you look without buying, you may feel deprived and resent your commitment to frugality. If you buy on impulse, particularly if you use a credit card, you’ll most likely feel like a failure. You don’t want to set yourself up for either scenario, especially if you’re just making the transition to frugal fabulous living.

My recommendation is this: feel free to shop for the things you want and can afford, but have a game plan. Don’t hit the mall unless you have a fairly specific idea of what you intend to purchase. Don’t go to buy “shoes,” go to buy, “dressy black leather flats I can wear with my black dress pants and my jeans.” Know your spending limit, and bring only that amount of cash with you. Leave the credit cards at home. Decide which stores you’ll go to ahead of time, and plan to park as nearby as you are able. If you can, visit those stores’ websites before you leave the house, and identify a few items you’re interested in checking out. Don’t window shop on the way to or from the store. Once you’ve made your purchase, go home. Then take some time to enjoy your new items, and the fact that you got what you wanted without borrowing against your future.

How do you fight the urge to splurge? Share your strategies in the comments section!