What helps you not spend? Could use some advice.

[pearlieq]

Others have hinted at this, but it really sounds like you might have a lot of free time on your hands.

One way to stop spending is to get busy! Take a second or a freelance job. Volunteer! Ask for extra projects at work. Join a gym or sports league and social clubs.

Fill your time with fun, enriching things and you might find you have a lot less time and interest in shopping.

Good luck!

[Aleta]

What helps me not to spend is staying out of the stores. Making lists of needed items and waiting for them to go on sale is a good idea. I also go into the store with a list and try not to be distracted by other items.

Also, by making a spending plan (budget) and spending the allocated amount or less will help you stay on track.

Also, don't hang around spenders if you have a problem of not spending.

[mom-from-missouri]

Originally Posted by Ariadne

I used this trick a few years ago, and you only have to do this for 1 month to get started (it's so easy)...

Put all other cards in a plastic cup, fill it with water and put it in the freezer.

2 weeks later, go back to the bank, withdraw cash and live off of that.

If you get the idea that you "want" to buy something, you'll need to wait for the cards in the freezer to defrost before you can get what you "want".

.

No fair defrostig them in the microwave either. They have to defrost on their own. (besides, the microwave will damage the magnitic strip on them-saw that on TV)

The company I worked for fired people for being on ebay and other non work related sites. Also for receiving personal email. Supervisors anywhere in the company could log onto your ID and see everything on your PC. They even fired people who had been there 30 years or more and had only been on ebay once, and also people who had done it for years and years with nothing ever said to them. They argued they were "on break" so the rule came down then that we "had" to leave our desk on break.

[KrystalKF]

Thanks for all of the advice. It is very helpful. My boyfriend actually day-trades and is very financially savvy so I think he'll be the perfect person to help me start investing. I would definitely not want a second job, my first job is quite challenging and stressful at times.. I do sales for an aerospace engineering company and some of our customers are 1/2 way across the globe so sometimes I'll have to stay until 9pm to get something completed.

But I do agree with getting a hobby! I'm thinking of getting tennis or golf lessons in the spring, that way I can get outdoors and use some of my spare time. I'm getting paid tomorrow so I think when I'm in the bank I'll set up some automatic transfers from my checking to saving.

Thanks for all of the advice!!!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by KrystalKF

My boyfriend actually day-trades and is very financially savvy

I'm not sure I would put those two statements together. I hope there is some other reason you think he is financially savvy other than the fact that he day-trades because that certainly isn't the most savvy thing to do with one's money.