A difficult part of budgeting is cutting back on discretionary spending.
Many people wish they had more personal savings. There are two basic ways to build personal savings:
- Save money already coming in.
- Make more money.
This article focuses on the first way to build savings– saving existing money.
How to Save Money by Curbing Spending: Learn to Stop Spending Money Unnecessarily
One way to save money that is already coming in via a paycheck or investments is to curb spending. Spending too much money drains disposable income, depletes savings, and limits a person’s ability to invest money.
Cutting back on spending is not an easy feat. The urge to spend money is a habit learned over time; logically, it follows that learning to save money is a habit that must be practiced. Furthermore, anyone who is used to spending freely because there has never been a need or urge to cut back on spending and save money may find it difficult to suddenly stop spending money.
One way to combat spending too much money is to adopt an objective way to evaluate potential purchases. Removing emotion from the decision will automatically decrease spending for most people.
Spend Too Much Money? Consider These Questions Before Making a Purchase
To make the purchasing decision a logical one instead of an emotional one, consider implementing a check in the system in the form of a question that forces objective evaluation of the situation. Choose one or two questions that make the most sense and consider one or both of them before making any purchase; these questions have a way of making personal goals surprisingly clear. Below are some questions to ask before making the decision to spend money.
- Was this item needed yesterday? If it is an impulse buy, the answer is almost always no.
- Does it fit within the household budget? This is an easy one. Simply don’t exceed monthly budget limits without good reason.
- Will the purchase cause regret next month?
- Is the money better used or saved for something else?
- Does this expenditure align with personal goals and values? This question is often posed in Your Money or Your Life, a personal finance book on frugal living and early retirement.
What if the questions above result in a reason to spend money? Then consider shopping around to get the best deal on that purchase.
Fewer things hinder savings than unnecessary expenditures. Those interested in building personal savings can use the mottos above to keep spending at bay and use the difference to fund personal savings accounts.
Lena Gott - Lena Gott is a Certified Public Accountant who gives practical financial advice to her readers.
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