I don't know about you, but during the holidays, I really open up the purse strings!
During the rest of the year, I rarely shop outside of my regular grocery shopping trips. However, when shopping for Christmas gifts, I often pull out my wallet multiple times per day.
Since I save up for Christmas gifts all year, I don't worry about actually paying for the gifts, but I sometimes have trouble stopping the spending when all my shopping is done!
I'm a creature of habit, so like I get in the habit of not spending money during a no-spend month, I also get in the habit of spending money when I'm shopping during the holidays.
How Do I Stop the Spending?
For me, I focus on my budget to make sure that I stay on track with my spending. I also make a deliberate effort to get back into the habit of not spending. If you really have a tough time turning off the spending spigot, you could start a No-Spend Month in January to help you get into the habit of not spending money.
If you have spending weak spots, try to avoid them. If you know you have trouble resisting purchases in certain stores, try to not even visit those stores (or websites). If you absolutely must shop in a store where you're weak, create a list and tell yourself that you'll absolutely stick to the list without making any impulse purchases.
If you did a lot of shopping online over the holidays, you likely are signed up for promotional e-mails from the stores. I usually unsubscribe from those e-mails in January, because I might be tempted to shop again just because there's a great sale. You can always check my database for online coupon codes when you do need to make a purchase.
What about you? How do you stop the spending after the holidays?
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