Usually when I shop for big things that I need I tend to wait for big sales. In many cases that is during sales events. Throughout the whole year I didn’t really buy one big ticket item yet in the past week I found myself spending so much money. For example, buying electronics and kitchen equipment that I have been holding off as the sale prices were very good.
What I did find though that because I am a saver there was a brief moment where I was debating if I should spend the money just because I have it in a sense of if I want it and I can why not? Fortunately for myself I have self-control in this way afterwards and reading future releases puts me back in the don’t waste your money now mindset. But I can imagine others spending so much money this way. With that I think these are the top three ways that gets me to not spend money for the sake of it:
1) Thinking How Much More You Can Get With Cheaper Stuff
This might sound weird but for me it helps to constantly analyze the value of what I am buying with other things because feeling like you are getting ripped off in a sense is a way to instantly not want to buy something. You could say comparing a $5 apple is not the same as like a 25 cents one because this expensive one is so perfect, but thinking how you can walk away with essentially 20 apples instead of one really makes you think if what you are buying is worth it. This won’t hold true if you are buying something you need with exact specs of course but for me it definitely helps for those purchases that are only nice to have.
2) Read About Future Releases
Especially when it comes to tech stuff things change fast where what you bought can be outdated within a year. I find just keeping up with the news in that regards makes you want to stop buying things now because who wants to be that guy where you spend say $2000 buying this top of the line computer and then two months later that same thing can be bought for $1000? So staying informed is a good way to stop your shopping spree mode.
3) Stay Busy
I often find in the industries I work in there are people that work such long hours where they simply don’t have time to spend anything. If that says anything it’s that if you keep yourself busy you will tend to not want to pay attention to how much money you have to spend where instead focusing on your work will make your bank account get bigger. That’s not to say you should purposely try working 16 hour days to do so, but like any bad habit such as people that keep eating because they don’t know what to do money and shopping can be the same thing for many. So stay busy.