Spending and Shopping Habits

Here are some quick tips to save money when planning your spending and shopping:

Keep track of your spending. You could

• save all of your receipts, and then record them in your budget at the end of the week or month, or
• use a budgeting app on your smartphone to do the work for you, or
• use a debit card for all purchases, so that your bank statement is a record of all of your spending.

It’s very important to make a plan before you go to the store.

• Make a shopping list so that you know what you need, which helps you avoid unnecessary purchases.
• Watch for specials; buying goods when they are on sale makes sense, but only if you need that item (buying something you don’t need just because it’s on sale is a waste of money).
• Check out our money saving apps that can help you save money.

Finally, be aware of what triggers cause you to spend money, so you can take steps to deal with them.  Recognize what emotions trigger your spending such loneliness, stress, sadness, or anxiety.  The key is to find different options to manage these emotions other than shopping.  This will be different for everyone, but consider activities like talking to a friend, going for a walk, working out, or watching a movie on Netflix.  You can do it!

Want to learn more?

Check out the government’s resources on how to improve spending habits.