I have a hard time cutting down on spending. I like to indulge in things such as eating dessert after dinner and treating myself to Jamba after working out. How can I fix this habit?
Had to laugh when I read this. Just came back from Jamba… My parents always said to wait a day before spending money on something bigger than $10. The next day most things just don't seem to be as important. But dessert and Jamba don't fit into this model.
I have a hard time cutting down on spending. I like to indulge in things such as eating dessert after dinner and treating myself to Jamba after working out. How can I fix this habit?
Attila I recommend to create a budget for leisure spending.
What I do too save is not order out all the time. . I use too then I stop that is one way of saving money cook at home
Cooking at home really does save a lot of money.
I make nearly all of our meals at home. It's healthier than eating out as well as being cheaper. You can find recipes for restaurant copy cat foods all the time, so that's what we do. We'll eat out only if we're out at a doctor's appointment that runs over a mealtime.
I started making my meals at home and take advantage of the free coffee and tea offered at work. This not only helps save but helps me track what I eat
It's difficult to break the 'reward' habit of Jamba or little extras here and there. My husband and I got into the habit of eating out when I worked more than an hour away from home so that I did not have to come home to make dinner. Yes, he is broken but he is mine…. I've started making a meal plan for dinners each week and it took a month before the craving for 'take out' or restaurant food went away. We now know that 95% of the time dinner is at home just waiting for assembly and minor cooking. It's healthier and has cut almost $300 a month from the wasteful 'rewards' we felt like we were entitled to.
Once a month, I print up my bank statements and take about 30 minutes to an hour circling/highlighting items that I spent on that I knew I should not have spent on. I then add the amount of money spent up, and make my next savings goal 50% of that amount!
The only thing I spend the most on is gas wish I could find away to cut that down and I would have a little more but if I’m off I get bored and drive smh
I need help!
Shakia J - spend the most on is gas wish I could find away to cut that down
Have you checked into getting gas cards from Raise or Giftcard Granny from people who are selling them at a discount…. I like using Gas Buddy (in place of my debit card) plus pairing it with cents off for Kroger and Sheetz…. Gas Buddy I have found does not work at Speedway gas stations…. doubling up on discounts is great for gas budget….
Also, make sure you are not carrying extra weight in your car and tires have correct air pressure will give you slightly better mpg
My husband is constantly looking at sales. If it's something he wants and it's on sale he always wants to get it right away. The problem is that he continues to look for the items we buy after we've bought them and gets upset when they go on sale for a lower price later. My takeaway: there will always be another sale, so don't worry about getting it right away.
I need help!
@susan t. Care to provide details?
It’s so hard
I need help?
I have a hard time cutting down on spending. I like to indulge in things such as eating dessert after dinner and treating myself to Jamba after working out. How can I fix this habit?
Maybe start by gathering ingredients and try to find a perfect match to your jamba juice smoothie? I know they mix their ingredients with ice cream sometimes but you can substitute that with anything like yogurt (Greek) or banana (to add thickness).
I love the expensive starbucks mocha latte. It does cost too much. I been experimenting and can make the same drink - pretty close to it.
It's an impulsive thing. I do it as well. At the store with small purchases that add up. But a lot of it is snacking and eating out. I have to remind myself that there's food at home and carry snacks in the car/my purse. Also since i started using alligners i snack less often (is it really worth brushing my teeth and flossing so i can put my alligners back in?). So maybe do the same if you eat out and say you have to brush your teeth and floss after eating out. I realize now it's more of an impulse vs real hunger/craving. B/c when i don't give in, the craving doesn't stay with me throughout the day. Good luck!
It tookk me a long time to get my budeting in control i would go to dunkin 3 times a day and get ice coffees abd sandwhichs and i was spending so much money because it is so expensive i was finally able to realize i could go to the store abd get everything for ice coffee and sandwhichs there and the amount of money i was soending a month at dunking i could soend a percentage of that at a store abd have the same thing abd it would last me 2 months yea u gotta do the work to make it but its worth ut
@Tyler - Yes to grocery shopping for items! I'm a sucker for chocolate croissants. They run about $3-$4.50 each where I live. I then discovered them in the frozen section. It was $3 for a pack of 4 of them. I simply thaw it the night before, then toast it for breakfast the next morning. The grocery story is amazing. Home-cooked meals are also soooo much cheaper than going out to eat.
I use coupons and phone apps as much as possible to help cut down my out of pocket costs. I also do online surveys to earn extra cash and gift cards as well.
@Ken - What phone apps do you use? I'd love to know more.
Personally, I have the Coupons.com and Safeway apps downloaded on my phone. Safeway is my closest grocery store, and I just recently found out that I can double up on savings when I couple the in-store coupon with the manufacturer coupon. For example, I recently bought 4 boxes of mac n cheese that usually cost $2.99 each for $0.97 each after using two coupons 
I try to freeze foods before they go bad. I have a chest freezer that's almost full but I dont shop every week if I can help it.
buying fast food less.
