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Advice to stop Frittering Money?

27 replies

Nofilter · 19/07/2018 02:35

Hello,

I seem to fall into an unhealthy habit of buying on eBay and amaZon when I'm a bit dressed, busy, bored etc

This really adds up! Anybody else had success with learning this behaviour?

Thanks

OP posts:
AdoraBell · 19/07/2018 10:48

Delete your card details from the sites. Put your cards away so that when you feel the urge you have to get up and go to where the card is. The back of the freezer is a good place.

Find something to replace the spending, crossword puzzles fe, or whatever works for you.

For day to day spending out of the house use cash. Decide how much you need for the week and withdraw that amount, then leave your card at home.

Nofilter · 19/07/2018 21:06

Thanks adora that's good advice. I've worked out most of my spending and the few categories that I need cash for.. they are going to take some work keeping to.

It's a bad habit really late night Ebay buying!!

Ordered some cash dividers and going to start this next month when we've moved into our new house!

I'm so much more peaceful when I am respecting my money whereas when I'm doing silly spending I worry about financial security and the future!

OP posts:
Chocolateyescakeyes · 20/07/2018 21:07

I was the same however, I now still enjoy browsing online and add things to the basket, but very rarely complete the purchase. I realised it was the searching part that I enjoyed the most, so it works for me.

ReggaetonLente · 20/07/2018 21:15

Following as I’m on mat leave now and need to learn to rein it in!

WhatCanIDoNowPlease · 20/07/2018 21:19

Ordered some cash dividers please dont say they were from ebay Grin

HaaaHaaaa · 20/07/2018 21:20

Ordered some cash dividers
Grin

Stop ordering things! Make do with what you have (I don't know what cash dividers are but they can't be essential)

HaaaHaaaa · 20/07/2018 21:23

Had a google and they are envelopes. With writing on.

Cancel the order and use envelopes. Don't order a pen to write on them.

Nofilter · 20/07/2018 21:40

Haha!

They are these they were £4...

I think that may be the case with me actually. I like browsing - am going to try not to actually purchase!!

I think once we are moved into the new house I'd like to do a full spending freeze essentials only for September...

Advice to stop Frittering Money?
OP posts:
mammynowanauntyIRL · 20/07/2018 21:51

Join us over here The Friendly Frugaleers; joyfully saving through July www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/3300493-The-Friendly-Frugaleers-joyfully-saving-through-July

SavoyCabbage · 21/07/2018 12:58

£4!

3luckystars · 23/07/2018 10:49

Ask yourself ‘do I need this urgently TODAY’ that helps me.

There is very little you need urgently today.

HollowTalk · 24/07/2018 10:29

A friend of mine does this: whenever she's bored and knows she's going to buy some crap, she works out what she'll buy, then goes onto her online banking and transfers that exact amount of money into her savings account. She says the money is there for her if she really does need the tat, but so far she's never regretted it.

MaisyPops · 24/07/2018 10:43

Following for ideas.
I seem to manage to fritter money on snacks when out and it annoys me.

Nofilter · 25/07/2018 20:16

I really like that idea hollow I'm going to give it a try!

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 26/07/2018 12:39

There's another poster on MN who says every morning as soon as she wakes up, she transfers £1 into her savings account. I thought that was a great idea - you'd never notice £1 was missing and then you get £365 for Christmas.

pennycarbonara · 26/07/2018 13:00

Especially useful with big firms (or if you're in difficult circumstances, just about anything): why do they need that money more than I do? would I give them that money as if they were a charity?

Browse stuff less often. As others have said, find displacement activities.

If possible, cut down on consumption of media with ads, lifestyle pages of newspapers, glam reality shows etc. Be more cynical when you do see advertising and advertorials, 10 best of product you can manage without anyway. Look at them as things that are trying to get money from you, either directly, or indirectly via sponsorship and ad revenue someone else is receiving (which for a while can increase annoyance versus previous passive consumption and acceptance of them.) Watch out for new things that might have this effect if you are susceptible.

Replace some of this with resources, blogs etc about saving money, minimalism etc. Try and change internal norms, e.g. feeling it's good that you've had something a long time and be proud of it, feeling better about yourself for cooking cheaper recipes, finding ways to adapt things for purposes for which you would once have bought something new, or managing without.

If you have any interest in environmental issues, think more about the resources used to produce and transport all these things that aren't really needed.

Consider important / emergency things you might need money for in the future and that you are wasting some of that on stuff you can manage without now.

pennycarbonara · 26/07/2018 13:24

One of the biggest habit breakers was a rule that if I couldn't decide between things (other than absolute essentials like food or a lightbulb or something) not to buy anything. I used to be really bad for buying things I wasn't that happy with. It took a couple of years to start having an effect when I wasn't trying, but there are so many things that now just sit in watch lists, or which I enquire about and never buy because of the hassle of researching and choosing. Researching and comparing stuff used to take me hours.

BornInALighthouse · 26/07/2018 13:30

I worked out what I had left to fritter over the month. Give myself 2 no spend days and divide up the rest. If not spent some goes away to savings and some is rolled over for a bigger treat. Not sure why but seeing that small amount as a daily spend really slowed down the frittering. That and I bought myself a jigsaw for the evenings as that was my worst time for it.

Whalebird · 26/07/2018 13:35

Some of this is screen addiction, right? (sounds dramatic but we've all got it). You could....

come on the S+B boards and search for other people
chat more instead of browsing
try to go browsing-free a few evenings a week, eg Fridays. You might need to find something else to do with your hands-knitting, or I have a friend who made a lot of paper cranes when giving up smoking.
tidy up-sounds boring but will make you think about the stuff you already have

Nofilter · 26/07/2018 14:19

hollow I've saved £73! I almost bought loads of accessories for my life planner last night and it was just because I was grumpy and tired due to DD (2) having epic tantrums. I don't really get any social time these days. Don't get me wrong I have a full life, have horses, a business but I'm usually knackered so don't really go out just for fun... I think there's something in that - it's like I miss the "let your hair down and be free!"

The £1 a day is also a great idea as it shows the amount growing doesn't it! I've just transferred £1 for the day...

Thanks penny I've taken that on board it's completely true. I'm going to unsubscribe from loads of eflyers too. I've never actually saved for anything as always have the ability to buy whatever I want. But the reason for this thread is that my spending is giving me financial insecurity and I'm fed up with useless crap... I'm going to really think about something maybe to save up for - it might be a good exercise like you say...

born that's totally it - by the end of looking into the item, checking the prices against others - I'm a bit sick of the whole thing and don't really want it but then think - I've just wasted XX hours on this so I need it... so not true!

whale it's 100% that! I've come of Facebook around a year ago - really felt good about that. I've slipped back into screen time however, it's like somehow my screen time is my social life now... I am decluttering and that's going great and helping me to see how much I have. I've made almost £1500 on selling stuff on eBay - not even missed a single item either.. thanks for the advice I'm going to summarise the suggestions and make a little habit tracker I think, something easily updateable daily and see how I get on...

Time for action!! And not of the spending kind Smile

OP posts:
Nofilter · 26/07/2018 14:20

reggea How are you doing with it? Have you put anything into place that's working for you?

OP posts:
Cloudyapples · 26/07/2018 14:20

Try something like a monzo card - it really helps me to be able to immediately see my purchases and how much I have left in my account

AWomanIsAnAdultHumanFemale · 26/07/2018 14:23

When you’re stressed/bored and feel the urge to browse/shop change your pattern to going to find something in your house to sell instead. Two benefits to this 1) you’re reminding yourself that you already have stuff you don’t need taking up space 2) you’re making money from something that started as an urge to spend money.

Littlechocola · 26/07/2018 14:24

I have a spending diary. I am rubbish but getting better

Whalebird · 26/07/2018 15:59

Just remembered my single best screen-time busting tip. Are you ready....

Make a list of what you want to do on the internet. Wait until a specific time, or even better a specific day. Fire up laptop (for preference over a tablet/phone) and do the things on the list. If you don't do anything else, give yourself a HUGE pat on the back. They are designed to be addictive and one small 'I'll just check for...' can become 45 minutes and £20 spent.

Sometimes you just have to treat yourself like and 11 year old to get where you want to be Grin

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