My tip for not spending money is when you are in a store and find something you like carry it around for a while or put it in your cart for a while and think it over. Do you really need it? Is your life going to be a lot better because you bought it or will the thrill of something new be over ten minutes after you get it home? You might find that a lot of the time you will end up putting the item back. Just carrying something around for a while will sometimes make you feel like you already own it. By the time you are ready to leave the store you might decide its not that much fun to own after all. Tell yourself you will forget about it once you are out of the store. There are very few things you will remember and regret not buying-and you can always go back if you want it that badly. Set a limit of how much you are going to spend before going into a store. If you go over the limit, decide what you want least and put that back.
Find a hobby or something you really love to do besides shop. Its better to stay out of stores as much as possible if you are trying to cut back on expenses.
Always pay your credit card bill off every month or you are just giving money away to the credit card company. Some of them charge outrageous percentages on unpaid balances carried over, so make that a rule.
What I do is hold on to all my master card receipts. When I know I am spending too much I don't buy anything I don't have to. For example- do you really have to buy a new purse because they are on sale if you are going to have to go into your savings to pay off the credit card? (Remember, the RULE is you HAVE to pay it off each month, it's for convenience, not buying anything you want until the card is maxed out). You have to prioritize what items you buy each month and if you are over your limit you wait until next month. If you buy everything you want at the beginning of the month, you won't have any money left for necessities that you suddenly realize you need.
Anybody who has too much junk they don't use sitting around should sell it on Craig's List, have a garage sale, or take clothes to a resale shop. Don't just throw the money from them away. If you do donate the items, get a receipt so you can take it off your taxes.
Also, if you buy something you decide you don't need or doesn't fit, take it back. I know a lot of people who have stuff they never got around to taking back. Some people lose receipts, so always hold onto them so you can return things.
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