I Spend Far Too Much, How Can I Cut Back? 7 Tips!

1. Set up a monthly budget

In a society where happiness is immediate pleasure, it’s hardly surprising that money burns a hole in my pocket and I struggle to prevent myself from spending to satisfy compulsive cravings, but the sad result is: I’m no happier... quite the opposite 😓. Being overdrawn, worrying at the thought of going to check my accounts online, the lump in my stomach I feel when I get a message from the bank, etc.

The first thing I understood about saving money was to draw up a budget. As entrepreneur Peter T. Paul says, “Not knowing where your money’s going is like driving a car without headlights in fog.” So how do you go about it? There’s no need for complicated apps, you can either do some cash stuffing or simply take out a pen and a piece of paper. Draw up a table with two columns: in the first, write down your fixed expenses, such as your rent, loan, internet, phone, etc., and in the second, note down variable expenses such as leisure activities, treats, outings, etc. Base your list of variable expenses on previous months.

And now, ask yourself how you could cut back on your expenses, knowing that you need to pay your fixed expenses first and everything else comes after, it’ll save you a few nasty surprises 😬.

2. Need or desire?

From now on, this is the question I always ask myself before buying something. Don’t listen to the little voice inside your head, if you’re reading this article, it’s probably because it’s very good at transforming a desire into a need (“Of course I need this Opinel limited edition knife, it’ll look so good next to my wooden juicer!”). Except that in order to limit certain expenses, it’s vital that you differentiate between your real needs and your supposed needs, with openness and honesty.

“Impulse buying is the enemy of savings.”

Suze Orman, financial expert

You therefore need to go through the withdrawal phase. Meeting your real needs is necessary, but allowing yourself a budget for treats is also very important, as long as it’s controlled and respected. To establish this budget, remember the purchases you made over the last 3 months and ask yourself which ones you still enjoy, and which ones still mean something to you today. As such, you’ll learn to truly reconnect with pleasure (in the long term) and, above all, with desire.

3. Save rather than spend

You’re reading this sentence, and you’re thinking, “I’d rather lick a damp sponge off the bottom of the sink”, I don’t blame you, but this habit will save you a lot of stress. Putting money aside, even a few dozen dollars, is a habit you’ll soon learn to appreciate.

Because even if your savings are just a few euros, little by little they’ll grow. This money that you put aside will prevent you from spending it on something that’s not useful to you, and it can be used for unforeseen expenses, but also to really treat yourself, or even to make one of your dreams come true.

👋 You might be interested in this article: Can you be badly paid and motivated?

4. Set a goal

A house, a vacation, a great toy for your youngest, a new car... Whatever your goal, keep it in mind because it’ll help you avoid giving in to temptation! As personal development expert Brian Tracy points out, goals act like a compass, providing direction and motivation. They also make it easier to plan and organize, and promote financial control and discipline – you just have to stick with them!

5. Avoid temptation

Money can sometimes seem to burn a hole in your pocket, making it difficult to resist the temptation to spend. As financial expert Dave Ramsey says, “If you don’t control your money, your lack of control will end up controlling you.” To avoid this, an effective strategy is to avoid temptation. This means avoiding shopping arcades, shopping centers, and even giving up loyalty cards and newsletters packed with new products, private sales and promo codes, among other things 😅.

It can be hard to give up shopping on Saturdays, but as psychologist Elisabeth Couzon suggests, money is like time – you need to know how to manage it if you don’t want to waste it. By avoiding temptation and managing your money wisely, you can reduce financial stress and take control of your financial situation.

6. Think again about new things

To begin this point, I’d like to quote the psychiatrist Christophe André: “You don’t need to own something to enjoy it. We can enjoy the beauty of a landscape, the quality of a moment, without having to buy anything.”

However, if you can’t hold back and settle for a view, you can always turn to second-hand. You can fill your library with second-hand books, or not fill it at all and go to the library. What makes you an interesting person are the books you read, not the ones you own, and the same goes for all your stuff. The same goes for clothes: for around $40 a month, you can have a new wardrobe every month when you hire clothes.

Second-hand is much cheaper than new, but it’s still something new, because new things don’t necessarily come from a shop 😉. What’s more, it’s good for the planet, so it reduces our eco-anxiety!

7. Do your books and keep track of your expenses

You know why I went on holiday with my parents every summer? Because every week, my parents did their books. Every time I saw them doing it, I felt less and less like becoming an adult and... I never did my books 😫.

That’s why, during the second half of the month, I dread going onto my banking app, or I’m surprised to receive a text telling me that I’m overdrawn. Excel spreadsheets or a mobile app can be a good solution for doing your books, but personally, I’m not able to do it that way.

However, every week I take a look at my bank accounts and analyze the situation: have I made any unnecessary expenses? Have I gone over my clothing, food, or leisure budget?

Why is it important to manage your budget better?

We tell ourselves that we work, that we deserve to enjoy ourselves and not deprive ourselves, that this is how we enjoy life, and that we won’t take this money with us to the grave, in short, any excuse is good enough to spend and spend some more. Except that excess is always a problem and buying all the time doesn’t make you happier, quite the contrary in fact.

Owning too many things can even create real anxiety, a feeling of clutter, of being too full and possessed by these things, sometimes leading to Diogenes syndrome. Not to mention the anxiety of money running out, the stress of not having enough to put petrol in your car or pay your phone bill.

And what about pleasure and desire? I see, I like, I buy and when I get home, do I feel better? Not always, sometimes I feel empty, and sometimes I also feel guilty for having bought this or that thing I never use because I haven’t had the time to crave it, to know if I really wanted it.

Be sure to check out these articles too;

• How to cut down your spending with our challenge
• How to free yourself from your thoughts
• A lack of self-esteem has an impact on money management