How to Stop Wasting Money: Tips that Really Work

Everybody makes useless purchases from time to time, and not every time in vain. Researchers agree that you shouldn’t deny yourself small pleasures. But remember that marketers force us to buy more than we really need: ​​they draw attention to discounts, display the most important products as far from the entrance as possible so that you always pass by less useful things, and also influence your sense of touch (if you touched a thing, you are more likely to buy it), smell (smells stimulate sales) and hearing (slow music keeps you in the store) and, of course, take into account the traps that the consciousness falls into – like the tendency to confirm your point of view.

All these tricks are well known, but only financial discipline can save you from pointless purchases both in retail stores and on the Internet. 

Check the useful tips that will help you to organize your budget and not waste hard-earned money anymore.

What Should You Do to Stop Spending Money on Useless Things?

Refuse Window Shopping

You are recommended to make a shopping list before you go to the supermarket or any other store. This also applies to online shopping: although marketers have less influence on the environment in which you are, they use their own tricks in online stores. That being said, it is advisable that you limit yourself on the budget in advance.

Use a Wishlist Instead of the Basket

When you add an item to your cart, you formalize the desire to buy it. If you add it to your wishlist, you can easily forget about it if you don’t really need it. You will experience a pleasant sensation when you later clear out the junk from the wishlist and realize how much money you have saved by not buying unnecessary stuff.

Set an Acceptable Discount Size

Preferably, at least 30-50%. During sales, online stores slightly reduce prices for some things, hoping that buyers will not pay attention to the size of the discount, so check how much the product cost earlier and choose only those that have significantly lost in price.

Check Whether you Pay for Unnecessary Subscriptions from Time to Time

These may include:

•       Check how much you pay for subscriptions to cloud storage. You can save money if you compress video online, so they take up less space. This will help you cut that cost.
•       Cable TV. ISPs usually offer a subscription to it in the same package with your home Internet, but if you prefer social networks and YouTube to your TV, then this is a pointless waste.
•       Magazines and newspapers. Do you manage to read all of the magazines you have bought a subscription to? If not, then save money and read free online magazines on the web.
•       Subscriptions that have not become a habit. This can be a paid account on a site that you just recently found or a book site subscription – although you only manage to read 1-2 books monthly. There is also the danger of buying an annual subscription at a bargain price during the holiday sale and then not using it at all;
•       Subscriptions that are no longer profitable. First of all, these are tariffs for mobile communications and the Internet, which are constantly updated. If you find it expensive, call your mobile operator and ask if there is a possibility to change the current tariff to the cheaper one. If you have a stable Internet connection at home and office, why pay for the unlimited mobile Internet? Choose a day of the year when you will check these and other expenses – and either renew your subscriptions or unsubscribe from them if you haven’t been using them for some time.
•       Subscriptions that have free analogs. Let’s say you may not be such a big fan of music as to give money for Apple Music monthly and enjoy listening to music on a similar free service. Don’t make spontaneous purchases in the first store you see. To get started, go to Google and make sure that the product is not overpriced. If you buy an imported product, look at how much it costs in all online stores: compare the prices to find out where to order goods from. Some stores may offer free worldwide shipping.                                              

Pay with Cash or Enter the Bank Card Details Manually Each Time When Paying Online

Storing payment details increases the likelihood of impulse purchases. Perhaps, in a minute that it will take to enter the data, you will have time to dissuade yourself – or, alternatively, you will simply become too lazy to take out the card and drive data from it. For the same reason, pay for purchases from desktops, not smartphones and tablets – new technologies, such as photographing a bank card to read data from it, are difficult to resist.

Don’t Buy Things Just Because There is a Big Sale

You may be attracted by the free shipping and sale price, but these things are completely useless to you. Some stores offer free shipping if you buy a certain number of items. And the first useless thing can easily be followed by the second one, then the third one, etc. You explain this to yourself by the fact that since the delivery is free, then you need to take more, and in the end, you will lose, not save money. Don’t be guided by sale prices until there are things you need now or will need next season.

Summary 

Here’s one more tip on how to save money. Ask yourself: if a stranger offered you as much money as this thing costs, what would you choose – money or the thing you’re going to get? This simple test may help you to understand that there is another way to spend money. If you ask yourself whether you need it or not, you may change your mind and save your budget from spontaneous expenses.