Plan Your Spending
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Plan Your Spending
When it comes to spending, planning spending and spending moderately are the keys to maintaining a healthy budget. Without a plan, you won’t know where your money is going; and without moderation, it’s too easy to spend a lot of money on a few things or a little money on a lot of things and get into debt or run out of money before the month is over.
There are ways to preserve your budget, spend in moderation, and still do nice things for yourself. There are things you can do for yourself that are free and other things that aren’t that expensive that will help you feel good without busting your budget.
Things To Know
- Moderation and planning are keys to sticking to a budget.
- There are lots of ways to treat yourself well without spending a lot of money.
- By planning splurges within your budget, you are less likely to spend too much.
Treat Yourself to Free Stuff
It’s all too easy to think that to treat yourself well, you have to spend money. That just isn’t the case.
There are many activities that are free. Many cities have attractions that periodically are open for free. This can include museums, zoos and parks. Many parks, lakes and beaches are free as well.
Spending time with loved ones is free. For example, all too often, parents think their kids want expensive presents for the holidays or their birthday, when what they really want is time with their mom or dad. So instead of buying a lot of expensive presents, buy fewer presents and take the day off work to spend with your son or daughter or grandchild around the holidays or his or her birthday.
Splurge Safely
No matter how tight your budget, it’s prudent to build in some room for periodic splurges. That’s because if you don’t, you will most likely impulsively spend anyway, and that will really put a hole in your budget.
A splurge doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or be something that you do everyday. It doesn’t have to be something that you buy in a store; it could be an experience that you enjoy.
One way to splurge might be by getting a massage, especially if you have some stress in your life. Many schools that teach massage therapy offer discounted massages by students that cost less than half of what a regular massage would cost.
Another way to splurge might be to treat yourself to a special kind of coffee, tea or other drink once or twice a month, which will likely only cost $4 or so. Or if you have a special event coming up that you need a new outfit for, you could plan and build that into your budget and shop at a consignment shop instead of a boutique or department store.