When I was in my early twenties, I had no problem managing my finances while shopping. I would walk from store to store, check my credit card bill at the register, and smile as I realized that I had more shopping dollars than I really needed. After about a year on my gift card allowance, I decided that enough was enough and started saving.
So, what did I do? I didn’t shop for nearly as much as I had when I was shopping at thrift stores and garage sales when I was younger. I still spent money, but it was on the things that I knew I could pay cash for later on. Instead of buying $100 worth of underwear each month, for example, I bought $25. That saved me quite a bit of money during those tough times.
If you are in a tough position and need to figure out how to save money and still be able to shop when you want, there are some things you can do. The key is to be realistic about how much you spend and to be prepared to cut back. For instance, if you only have a few items in your closet, try to group them up or stack them on top of each other. That way, you’ll spend less by having more items in your space.
Another thing you can do to manage your money while shopping is to only shop when you have time to shop. I tend to leave the rest of the week for my shopping. If I’m spending a couple hours in the mall, I’ll take my time browsing. I don’t rush through my shopping because it doesn’t fit with my schedule. It also costs me more time to go shopping, so I figure that if I can’t find something, I might as well cancel my plan and wait until I do.
Have you tried going to the grocery store while shopping? Have you ever tried to buy food just because you’re hungry? Well, this isn’t smart since it usually ends up costing you more than if you had bought it at a different time. So try to keep yourself from eating too much food while shopping.
If you’re planning on buying a large amount of things, then make a list. Don’t just randomly grab a bunch of things. Make your list based on how much money you have and then try to get rid of items that cost more than you have. If you’re shopping on a budget, then you can just buy what you need and then save the rest for later. If not, then it’s probably best that you just walk away from the store.
Remember that time counts a lot. When you’re in a hurry or stressed out, it’s almost impossible to make good decisions. You may end up wasting a lot of time by doing the wrong thing. So if you have time on your hands, try to go shopping slowly and with some careful consideration.
It’s also important that you only spend money on the things that you really need. If you are just shopping to be able to buy new clothes, then don’t buy every single accessory there is. That will just make you broke. So, in order to really manage your budget while shopping, keep these tips in mind.
First off, make a list of your income and expenses. Write down every single penny that you can think of. Also include your savings and investments as well as your net worth. Make sure that you don’t miss anything out here.
Next, think of all of your possible expenses that could come up while shopping. This includes gas or bus fare, food, etc, and make sure that you are still able to pay for them after you’ve finished paying for your shopping. Otherwise, your shopping budget is going to get messed up very quickly.
Last but not least, you need to have a realistic spending plan. If you can’t afford to do all of these things, then at least stick to your budget. Don’t stretch your budget too much. Just because you found yourself with a little extra cash on the side doesn’t mean that you can spend it on everything that you want right now. Stick to your spending plan and remember that saving is very important. When you have a plan, then you will know how to manage your finances while shopping.