5 Tricks to Tell Friends and Family "No" to Spending

It’s wonderful when you finally decide to start being financially responsible. The only problem is that while you may have cleared all of your personal hurdles, there’s one last hurdle to clear.

Other people in your life may not be on the same page as you. Your spouse, your friends, even your kids may want you to keep spending money. Let’s look at how to tell friends and family no to spending.

Sit Down and Talk to Your Family

You need to sit down and talk to your spouse and then sit down and talk to your family as a whole. Your spouse and kids need to understand why you want to cut back on spending and why you need them to be on board.

Maybe you want to start saving for the things the family really wants or you want to make sure your future is secure. Whatever the reason, you need to be upfront with your family.

Be Firm

You need to be strong when your kids, or even your spouse, beg for something they “just have to have.” Explain that it doesn’t fit into the budget and if they want to buy it, they’ll need to earn extra money to make it happen. Your spouse may have a problem with that, especially if he is the main breadwinner, but explain that it’s all for a good reason.

Find Other Things to Do

Shopping is one of America’s favorite pastimes. We simply love to spend money. Instead of spending money to have fun, look for other things to do. Go to the park, the library, or attend a free outdoor concert. You don’t have to spend money to have fun.

Make It a Game

Start a game with your family. The longer you can go without buying things the family doesn’t need, the bigger the prize will be. If you make it 30 days, you can have a trip to the movies. If you make it 60 days, you can go to your favorite restaurant, etc. You’ll be amazed how much money you can save when you cut out the unnecessary.

Get Them on Board

Last, but not least, work to get your friends and family on board. If your friends are always nagging you to spend money, explain to them how much money you’re able to save.

Show them what you plan to do with the money, whether it be a vacation or improvements to your home. The same goes with your family. Get them excited about what saving money can do for your family.

Not everyone is keen to spend more wisely. If you find yourself being pulled into a struggle of people wanting you to spend, try these tips for saying no to spending.