Are you someone who loves to shop? Do you wish you could find ways to save money and free yourself from the urge to shop? If you are someone who is looking for ways and tips to help you save lots of money, then you have found yourself coming to the right article.
Here we will not only help you save tons of money but also give you tips on how you could shop and spend your time wisely without having to end up worrying about a low bank balance. So without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Time your purchase
First of all, when it comes to shopping, many people make the mistake of going out without having a proper plan in mind. Although spending freely is a great feeling, the feeling and guilt that comes after shopping is entirely not worth it. Hence in order to avoid such feelings, one should focus on planning their shopping trips.
A great tip to focus on is sales time, as this could help you plan for money saving and also save money on items that you would normally get for a higher price. You could simply try to go online shopping websites and look for their sales date. Once you do, you can then plan your time and money wisely.
Collect coupons
One of the best ways to save tons of money is to collect shopping coupons that you could use when purchasing an item, whether it be clothes, furniture, or even groceries. There are many websites and places where you can fill out a form and have a membership so that you can always get notifications of any sort of coupons that you could avail yourself.
Moreover, by collecting coupons, you could also get to explore the various items in a store that you would normally avoid. In terms of grocery shopping, many shop owners tend to bring out sales or give coupons to those people who shop regularly.
Hence if you are a regular shopper, then you could ask them to inform you about any future items that will go on sale. You can also use  price it here services to get things done.
Finding a substitute
As we have mentioned before, saving money can seem like a tricky thing, especially when you have so many options in front of you that you are left with nothing but to spend exorbitantly.
However, if you are looking to save extra bucks, then one thing that you could start practicing is saving money by looking for substitutes.
You may be surprised to find out that many clothing items resemble each other. Thus you can find an alternative for a much cheaper option.
In order to get into this habit, you should try to go window shopping more often, and then look for items that catch your attention and look for a similar substitute in an affordable place.
Make a wish list
Moving on, another simple yet highly effective habit that you could do is to make a wish list and check them one by one. The reason why you might want to do this is so that you have a goal in mind.
When you focus on achieving that goal, you will be less likely to be interested in splurging your money on unwanted, useless things that are out of your budget. Making a wish list is relatively easy, and simply; you could ask a question to yourself such as;
- Â Â Â Â What are my needs and wants?
- Â Â Â Â Can I find an alternative?
- Â Â Â Â Will I be able to save money if I purchase this item?
- Â Â Â Â How can I fulfill this wish list without feeling guilty?
When you focus on this sort of approach, you will be left feeling more confident and thus will easily be able to spend money on things that truly matter to you.
Is the price here worth my financial burden?Â
Finding for free
A huge proportion of individuals out there focus on attaining clothes, jewelry, etc., which comes with a hefty price. Instead of following such habits, you should try to look for items that are being presented for free. There are many places where people leave clothing items for donation or for use by regular people.
You could try going to such places, and you may be surprised to find unused and packed items of clothing that would otherwise cause you a fortune. You could even try going to retailers and thrift shops as they offer a wide range of options for you to choose from and are budget-friendly.
It is completely alright to wear used clothes as you never know you could find a rare gem piece from a high-end fashion brand with 1/4th of the original price.
Wants and needs list
When a person lacks something in their life, the first instinct that comes to mind is to carry their wallet, go out and spend it on what they want.
This can seriously affect your financial situation and can ruin your personality as you would have no control over yourself. Instead, it is much better to ask yourself questions about whether it is an absolute necessity or just a wish that you can live without.
Many people out there practice the habit of making two lists of what they want and what their needs are. Needs are essentially items that they cannot live without, whereas wants are things that
can be avoided. When you focus on this sort of mindset, you will end up feeling more grateful, and the urge to spend money on useless things will slowly come to an end.
Borrowing
Last but not least, one great tip that you could benefit from in terms of saving money is to borrow it from other people such as your friends, family, and colleagues.
We humans have the annoying habit of spending money on cloth items that we are only going to wear once or twice in our lives. Instead of doing that, it is much better that you first ask around for clothes that you can borrow; that way, you would not have to go out of your way to spend hundreds of dollars on clothes.
Try asking your friend or family relative politely about used clothes that they do not wear that often, and you will be surprised to find the number of options awaiting you. If borrowing is not an option, you could even pay a small amount to your friends or family and have the item stay with you forever.
Conclusion
So these are some of the tips and tricks to help you save money from shopping if you are a shopping hoarder. Hopefully, you have been able to take away a few ideas to help you save from financial ruin. At first, it may seem like a difficult task, but with practice and determination, you will get the hang of it.
