We all know that when it comes to saving money, in any form or fashion, it can easily become one of the hardest tasks to accomplish. It is one tough cookie to take a bite out of, but with persistence it can be done.
You may have even tried the ‘save money’ approach already via a budget, clipping coupons, or shopping at local thrift stores. No matter what you do, to promote frugal spending habits, it is worth your effort even if it is as simple as clipping coupons. You and your family are more important than those not-so-well-thought-out trips to the mall. You can do it and with a little effort and a lot of patience you can make a big difference.
You have to be easy on yourself as well. A lot of people slip up in the midst of a budget-war and after they have spontaneously splurged the fifty dollars they turn right around and beat themselves up over it. It may not be obvious but the damage of self sabotage can only be harmful if you allow yourself to wallow in your own let-down’s.
If you are on a pre-planned shopping trip and you slip up, by buying something that is not on your list, the last thing you need to do is bash yourself for losing your control. When you get home, as you are putting away your groceries, think it over logically and not in a self abusive way. You need to remind yourself that this is a lesson to be learned. Either keep the item you purchased and fully enjoy it or return it, unopened, to the store you purchased it from. If it will make you feel better then it’s ok to do this. The worst thing you can do right now is to make yourself feel like you’ve ruined something. We all make mistakes and this is a little, tiny one.
Use this time to reiterate the importance of an “I want this” list. Keep a small note pad with you at all times, especially on regular shopping trips. When the shopping temptation hits you, at the clearance section at Target, first breathe then, grab your “I want this” list, and jot down the item that you so strongly desire. After a week if the desire is still as strong as it was on that day, and you have moved the item into your spending budget, then go back and get it. Otherwise, let it go and live your life. Either way it is a lesson, a valuable one, that you’ve learned from experience.