It’s extremely common for us to spend more money than we can realistically afford, for a variety of different reasons. However, an estimated three-quarters of Canadians are in debt and, if continuous spending habits continue, getting out of debt can seem like an almost impossible task.
Many people mindlessly spend without even thinking about it, simply because they want to buy nice things and live that ‘rich’ lifestyle. But it is completely possible to still live the life you’ve always wanted without the mindless spending and crippling debt – keep reading to discover how!
Be honest about your budget
When mindlessly spending, we’re often in total denial of what our bank balance is really saying. But being honest with both yourself and others is essential to stop pointless spending and it won’t hinder your life quality at all. In fact, once you’ve accepted your budget and have more structure surrounding your spending, you’ll likely feel much happier!
If friends invite you out and you can’t afford it, don’t be afraid to say no. Keeping up appearances will do nothing for your financial welfare in the long-run, and it’s important to recognize what you can and can’t afford. This also applies to luxury items too – if you know you can afford a car like a Dodge Dart, it’s still fine to treat yourself! But, if you know you can’t, stay away from the temptation to spend.
Buy good quality clothes
A sure-fire way to live a luxury lifestyle and save money in the long-run, saving up and buying good quality (and often more expensive) clothing is a great way to be mindful about your money.
Instead of buying 2 pairs of cheap jeans, go for one pair of more expensive, higher quality jeans instead. Yes, you’re getting less clothing, but the better-quality jeans are likely to last much longer and save you having to buy another pair for potentially years to come!
Grow your own food
Whilst this may appear to be a lot of hassle, growing your own fruit and vegetables is actually a lot easier than most people think. Often requiring few tools and hardly any skill, as long as you do some initial research to establish when to plant and how to look after each item, you’ll be well on your way to having a consistent supply of free food from the comfort of your own garden.
And better still, you’re likely to seriously impress your friends and family with your goods while spending hardly anything in the long-run. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can still grow items such as herbs simply in your kitchen – perfect for enhancing your cooking!
Living the life you love without mindlessly spending more money than you have is much easier than you may have initially thought. By simply being honest about your budget and making sensible decisions when you do spend, you won’t have to sacrifice any of your happiness along the way.
Markus Wright respects money. He has survived with very little, as well as having more than enough, seeing both sides of the coin so to speak! He writes about personal finance matters in his articles, sharing his how-to’s to help others.