How to Avoid Spending Money

The holiday shopping frenzy is here ~ Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and just a few short weeks until Christmas. It’s one time of the year when saving money and “avoiding spending” can be a real huge test for some.

I’m SO happy I don’t get into the holiday shopping frenzy – the sheer thought of it stresses me out so I can’t even imagine navigating stores, trying to hide “things” from my kids and even worse, making room for more things in a house that’s already somewhat cluttered.

Being a non-gift buyer makes the holiday s a really different experience. Sure, we love the holidays, but instead of gifts, we find the gifts of time and experience to be far greater than anything any gift could do for us.  There isn’t anything that I really truly need; instead.. I just want to get the family together, my kids to have fun and for my husband to have a really stress-free time of the year.

For some people, though, this time of the year is so incredibly hard. How do you avoid spending money when there are so many great deals?  It can really be hard, considering there is so much in our face – from magazines to billboards, mailers, and even commercials. Even blogs can help you spend more than they can help you save. 

For those who are watchful of their money and have a designated budget set aside, then it can be an uncomfortable struggle.  Sometimes even hard to tell your children, too – because they don’t see the why, just the “no” in most cases.

Social situations with friends make it incredibly challenging for people to mention that they can’t (or, don’t want to) go out to eat, and it’s even more uncommon to tell people that you aren’t doing Black Friday because you balanced your checkbook and there isn’t any wiggle room.

So how do you avoid spending money in a time when everyone else is? Or, how do you avoid all of the amazing deals that emerge at this time of the year?  

It might be easier for some than others – I have friends who just can’t resist. Meanwhile, I tune out most of the craziness without any issues at all. 

Here are some of the best ways to avoid spending money, and just a few of the things that I personally find helpful in terms of sticking to my budget and goals:

Use cash because it’s so much more painful to see that green leave your hands.

If you have to make an expensive purchase, wait ~ at least a day or more. Most of the time, when you do this, you will find that the purchase isn’t as detrimental as you thought it was.

Lock up your credit cards by freezing them in ice in your freezer – or better yet, avoid having credit cards altogether.

Write out your bills and appropriate your money on the 1st of the month – so you know exactly what you have to last you through the rest of the month.

Keep track of your spending habits – make a mental note of where your money goes each week so you can avoid spending all of your money on those items.

Be content – find happiness with the things you have so you won’t find the need to go out and shop to fulfill a void in your life.

Stay away from places that make you spend, and don’t shop for fun. Be intentional with your money – stay out of Target, away from sales and the mall in efforts to stick to your budget.

Always remind yourself that putting things on credit just means that you can’t afford the items to start with. If you have to rely on credit, then the item you need is not a necessity but a want.

Try to remember that the newness of the item, or purchase, wears off – and causes you to be in the same place you once were – looking for something to buy.

If you are jealous of the people around you, and what they have, you might want to sit back and determine what, if anything, is missing from your own life. In most cases, it’s not the material items – you may not be happy with yourself.

Don’t compare yourself to other people – instead, think of yourself as rich. After all, you have a wonderful family, beautiful home, amazing job and opportunity to come home every night to the people that love you. 

Lastly, don’t put yourself in a situation where you might find yourself spending. It’s always important to keep sight of your financial goals – remember that all these great deals are for things that will eventually lose their excitement over time. 

After the holidays are said and done, it’s the experiences that you will remember more than the things you have forked out money for.