What to Do When When Shopping Becomes a Problem

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Shopping is great fun, and it can really help to relieve stress if it’s your thing, but if you aren’t a particularly frugal shopper, or if you’ve started relying too heavily on shopping to the detriment of your bank balance and the glee, it might be time to start getting your shopping problem under control.

Here are some simple things you can do to kick your shopping addiction to the curb and get back to more reasonable levels of spending:

Take Inventory

Going through your closet and your cupboard, depending on what exactly it is you like to buy, and taking stock of what you already have is a great way to curb your spending because, it can help you to think more before you buy, and only buy the things you really need.

Give Yourself an Allowance

Setting yourself a monthly shopping ‘allowance’ is another great way to make you at least pause and think before you go on a wild credit card spree at the mall, especially if you give yourself incentives to stick to the budget, such as saving for a vacation or boosting your retirement fund with the cash you save.

Carry a Shopping List

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Whenever you’re heading out to the store, first write a shopping list of items you need and how much you are willing to spend on them, This is a simple way to curb the spending impulse.

Have a 30 Day List

The 30-day list is a great technique, devised by Leo Babauta at Zenhabits.com to help break a spending addiction. Basically, when you see something you want to buy, instead of purchasing it then and there, you write it down on a list. If you still want it after 30 days, you give yourself permission to buy it. Surprisingly often, you’ll find that you don’t actually want that thing you just had to have at the time, anymore.

Fix Your Finances

If you start taking control of your financial situation, perhaps by fixing your credit score at creditrepair.co, or by making real efforts to pay down your debts, even consolidating them so they’re more manageable, not only will it feel great, but that feeling you have of taking control will start to influence your spending habits, making you much less likely to pay with plastic  for stuff you really don’t need. When you’ve worked so hard to improve your circumstances, undoing it all in a few minutes on Amazon really isn’t so appealing.

Don’t Get Sucked in By Sales

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The prospect of saving 30 percent at your favorite dress store or $100 off that new couch you’ve been eyeing might seem appealing, but unless you really need it, it is money wasted, and anyway, sales are hardly difficult to come by these days - it’s almost certain that when you really do need to make a purchase, you will be able to do so at a discount.

Breaking your shopping habit will take time, and you’re likely to experience a few setbacks along the way, but if you’re determined and you do some of the things above, you will break free from the shackles of shopping, and when you do decide to shop, you’ll find it much more enjoyable as a result!

Best Ways To Fund Your Next Family Vacation

Vacations are a great way to de-stress and have some fun, especially when you bring your children along. Unfortunately, though, vacations can also get incredibly expensive. Even if you stay in the same country, you still have to pay for travel, food, and accommodation, as well as days out and things to do. If you’re planning to visit somewhere abroad for more of a “once in a lifetime” type holiday, such as Singapore or Australia, this can cost you a whole lot more. You certainly don’t want to be worrying about money when you’re supposed to be having a good time on holiday, so here are the best ways to fund your next family holiday.

Have A Savings Account

It’s always the most sensible idea to fund your holidays yourself, using money from your own savings.This avoids you having to pay any interest on your getaway, and means that you won't be putting yourself in debt for a few weeks in the sun. It can be tricky to save when you have so much to pay for, so you need to start budgeting. Write down all of you expenses for the month, including all of your bills, how much you spend on food, and anything else. Identify non-essential expenses, such as cinema trips or meals out, and cut those out. Any money left over can be put into your savings account for your holiday. Visit bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com for more information on how to save.

Use A Credit Card

Just because using your savings is the most practical way to pay for your holiday, it doesn’t mean it’s the only way. If you’re strapped for cash, you may want to apply for a low-interest credit card. This could be doubly beneficial, as some credit cards give you points or rewards when you use them. Just be sure to check the terms and conditions of individual credit cards before you apply for them, to ensure you’re getting a good deal. It might be a smart idea to pay for your holiday with a credit card, even if you have the money in a savings account so that your money is protected if your travel company goes bust. Once the holiday was paid for, you’d just have to pay off the credit card in full, before any interest occurs.

Apply For A Loan

A personal loan shouldn’t ever be your first option for funding your holiday, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely off the table. As long as you shop around and find a loan with low-interest rates, then there’s no reason for you not to consider applying for one. Personalloan.co  has advice on applying for loans, to help you through the process. You won’t be able to secure a loan with a low-interest rate if you don’t have a good credit rating, so you may want to consider ways of increasing your credit rating, before negatively impacting it with loan applications.

Whichever funding method you choose has the potential to impact your finances in the future, so make sure you think through your circumstances before making any payments. Other than that, I hope you enjoy your vacation.

After a full day of #sightSeeing , they are cooling off at the pool while I rest my tired feet. I am melting though because even the air that blows here is hot. #coolingOff #LasVegas #vacation #adventure #familyTravel #Nevada #SinCity #circuscircus🎭🃏

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Aug 9, 2017 at 7:05pm PDT