Have you over indulged on your spending recently and are feeling financially bloated?
We all do it at times. And the problem with excess retail therapy is it can have you set new highs or norms with your spending.
Have you even come home from a vacation where you had no choice but to eat out and buy expensive bottled water at the airport? It's like driving 100 km's on the highway and then having to slow down to 60 km. It can be difficult to transition back to your old normal.
Try these tips for getting back to your leaner spending self:
- Involve your family in creative “no or low cost spending” and entertaining options like visiting your local library or art gallery.
- Organize your closet and kids video games and host a swap or organize a flea market at your kids school.
- Unlink the autopay on your Amazon account so it’s just a little more work for you to spend in the heat of the moment.
- And unsubscribe to newsletter lists and social media follows of things that will tempt you.
To discover more money traps and how to correct them, get your copy of Talk Money to Me: Save Well, Spend Some, and Feel Good About Your Money in stores December 17th and available at Amazon and Chapters for pre-order now.
As the Consumer Advocate for FP Canada, I know that financial literacy is paramount to your well-being. Equally important to your long-term success is working with a qualified professional. To find a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional in your area that will help guide you on all matters of money, check out this Find Your Planner tool.
FP Canada is a national professional body working in the public interest (formerly known as the Financial Planning Standards Council). FP Canada is dedicated to fostering better financial health for Canadians by certifying professional financial planners and leading the advancement of professional financial planning in Canada.
For more on financial planning and how to get started, watch What is a financial planner? and What is a financial plan?