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Hi there! I bet you are looking for ways to slash overspending and finally be able to stick to your budget, right?
I’d get this sick feeling in my stomach when I overspent money, especially at the grocery store. What is it about the grocery store that makes you go over how much you were planning to spend??
Back when I first got married, money was really, really tight. Between all the bills of a new household, debt, and paying cash for my husband’s school, there often wasn’t much left over.
Yet, I found myself overspending again and again!
I knew better. I knew that I shouldn’t overspend, but there were always several purchases throughout the month, which caused me to overspend.
Stressed, frustrated, and worried, I would then have to juggle all the accounts to make sure there was enough money to pay rent. And when I ‘borrowed’ money from one account, I would end up in the same vicious cycle the next month.
Until I realized I was doing three things wrong with money.
See what those three things were on the next page. Click the Read More button...
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Hi! I’m Charissa. I’m on a mission to help hardworking women overcome money struggles and gain financial peace with a Biblical perspective so they can have the freedom to impact their families and communities. Ready to make some changes that will impact your finances in 2020? Click here to get a free worksheet to help you make it happen!
Chonce says
Love these tips! Understanding my ‘why’ and getting rid of credit cards helps me the most. I still keep my credit card account open but I try not to use most of them at all because I save so much more money that way and I tend to overspend less when I’m actually using my own cash for purchases.
Charissa says
You always brighten my day when you stop by Chonce! Using cash certainly connects your brain to the purchase and makes you think about if you really need the item, doesn’t it? Finding your ‘why’ and knowing you tend to overspend more on credit cards are huge!
Andrea Velsor says
These are great tips! I have been thinking about making a price book for grocery items and need to follow through on it!
Charissa says
Thanks Andrea! A price book would really help you save money by only buying items when they are on sale. I am pretty good at remembering the sale prices, but it would be better if I took the time to write it all down.
Debbie says
I never thought about spending only what I have in the wallet. My wallet is generally empty. I have always been a credit card person and managed it well. But I do like this approach.
Thanks for the tips!
Charissa says
I think I need to interview you Debbie! You have done such a great job handling money and staying out of debt, I am sure you have some awesome tips to share with my other readers. What do you say?
Wendy says
Do It!!! 🙂
Debbie says
Aren’t you a sweetie, Wendy?
Thank you for the trust!
Debbie says
I love the idea of the interview, Charissa! It will be an honor for me.
Please feel free to email me for us to arrange things.
Thank you very much for sharing this post on #TipTuesday!
Charissa says
Yay! I am so excited to interview you Debbie, I think you have a lot to share. I’ll email you with details.
Wendy says
I need to ground myself from Target! “Oh, I just need toilet paper….” $75 later, I’m loading the car full of things I didn’t know I “needed.”
My biggest money saving strategy actually started out as a time/stress saving strategy when I had a toddler. My neighbor and I would take turns grocery shopping. We would each alternate our own main shopping trip every other week, and on our “off” week, the other would pick up the things we needed to replenish (usually perishables such as milk, produce, bread, etc). This required some pretty good planning. We planned out a full two weeks at a time when we did our own weeks, otherwise we would end up loading each other up with too much stuff, but it worked amazingly well! You’re not spending $$ if you’re not shopping!
Great tips, as always, Charissa!
Charissa says
Wendy, your comment made me laugh so hard… oh I just need toilet paper…!! I love your grocery shopping swap idea, fabulous way to prevent overspending by not going to the store, plus all the planning involved. I always spend less when I plan what I am making. Thanks for sharing your tip! Now I need to find a friend to swap grocery shopping with.
Kristin says
Oh wow, there are a mountain of good tips here! I like #4 – be realistic. Sometimes I will write my budget down and it will look too perfect. I know something will always pop up, so it’s good to be flexible.
Charissa says
Haha! I have written my budget out and thought I had a lot of extra money, only to realize I forgot to write down a big item like rent. Boo! Being realistic is such a great tool in managing your money. Thanks for stopping by Kristin! Oh, by the way, I tried to comment on your Ebay article (loved it! And so helpful!!), but I just got an error message 🙁 and couldn’t leave my comment.
Nikki Frank-Hamilton says
Charissa, thanks so much for linking this to “What are you working on?” Wednesday. These are great tips, especially the visualization tips. It’s so much easier to tell myself “no” when I can see what I’m saving for, or paying off. Your post will help so many others to work on sticking to a budget, thanks for sharing your knowledge! Hope to see you next Wednesday.
Charissa says
Hi Nikki, thank you for stopping by! It is much easier to tell yourself ‘no’ when you have a goal in mind for what to do with your money. When you don’t see progress or don’t have a plan for your money it is so automatic to say, ‘oh well it’s just $___, it’s not that much’.