Do you prepare a budget when you go on shopping?

if you are like that then i would assume that you still have enough money to spare and that is alright just as long you do not spend more than you are earning. I do set a budget for everything especially when i do my groceries, i put in a regular list that i need for the whole month and at times i buy certain items that i buy in bulk which would last me for a year like my disposable shaver, bath soaps, laundry soaps, toothpaste, deodorant and the likes. if i need to buy some stuffs like clothes, gadgets and things, i set aside to save. to start this kind of living is to start thinking and believing on it, it all starts from within, it does not take overnight especially if you are use to overspend and don't make a budget on things. it is a matter of discipline.good luck.

hello larish... when i go for shopping i usually bring cash with a list of the stuff that i'm buying, if i don't bring the lists i will just end up buying things that we don't really need and sometimes even forget the more important things to buy...and also we have limited budget so we really need to spend it wisely if not we we're suffer...hehehe so because of it, i'll make sure that i don't forget my list whenever i go shopping...

I don't put certain budget when I go shopping. But from my experience, it's so dangerous when I bring my credit cards, lol. Just like you, I buy things that I don't really need. So, what I do now is, I don't bring my credit cards anymore. I will just bring the cash, with certain amount. I find it more effective for me.

I seldom go shopping, especially now, when I live in this remote campus, whichs makes shopping so inconveninent. However, whenever I go out to shop, I don't have the habit of preparing a budget in advance, as a matter of fact, I just buy whatever I like and consider useful. Therefore, I always spend a large sum of money while going shopping. a bit like you, isnt it? :)

hi there, well my take on this would be, budgetting is rather important. Not only for just shopping and buying thigs but actually in everything that concerns money or expenditure. Well as for shopping is concern i always keep a budget when i go shopping well. Before i leave for shopping i have a list of what i want to get. Then i go out and shop and try to get the things that i want for the best price. on in another words good bargain. after that if i happen to see anything along the way that i like, i would consider how much i had spend already and think if i can actually spend more on this thing. If i dont think i should then i would not. Well another way is not just bring cash with you and not credit card. Well this way you wouldnt have a choice to buy more thnigs since you already have spend them on the things you need. have a nice day, and happy mylotting. best regards, alvingb

I make a list of what I really need to purchase, then I figure out how much I can spend. And I actually tally all the items as I pick them up off the shelf. It's tedious, but I don't want to be shocked at the register to find out that I have spent more than I want to spend. But, the most important part I have to do is..to make sure I eat a good meal before I go, because if you go shopping while you are hungry, you will certainly buy more then what you actually need! I never use a credit card to purchase my groceries, because I never repay the same amount back when the bill comes in. That's a good way of seeing your credit card balance stack up. Unless you are in a desperate situation, I would suggest paying with cash, check, or debit card. And if you are in a desperate situation, try looking to see if you qualify for food stamps. With this economy, many more people are qualifying for it, and there's nothing to be embarassed about it. You have to eat! Unfortunately, food is getting more and more expensive every day. When the gas prices were sky high, I understood why the food went up...however, when the gas prices went down, I never saw the food going down...

Hello larish, I always bring cash whenever I go for shopping. I don't use credit card. I always make sure too, that my cash is enough for my shopping spree and if not, I just use my debit card. It seldom happens though... I am an impulse buyer and have to be very careful with what I want to buy. At times, I go over my budget too and due to this, my husband doesn't allow me to bring a lot of cash whenever I go for shopping.

I don't do the shopping around here. We live with his parents, so they do the shopping. When I had a job I usually just got what I wanted but was mostly always careful to stay within a certain amount. I learned that the hard way because of debt, even though that was because I wasn't satisfied with the bank and decided to just say "forget it!"

Hi Larish,I used to be a spendthrift kind of person.I buy even if I don't need the particular product or whatever.But as I grew older,I came to realise the value of money.I manage my home budget,so when it comes to shopping i always make sure I don't over spend on things which I don't require.I prepare a list of things which I need to buy then go for shopping.It helps me to manage my money and save time too thinking what to buy and what not.I stop using credit card.Now I use only cash,sometimes use my debit card.Have a lovely blessed weekend!

I didn't used to prepare a budget. But, then I realized how much I am spending on shopping. So, I have created a budget for everything. I only allow myself a certain amount per day. If I spend less, the remaining gets moved to the next day. At the end of the month, whatever is left over, gets put in the bank for a vacation or to pay unexpected bills.

I used to bring cash and credit card while shopping. And what comes out is too many purchases even if I dont need it so much especially if its on sale. Now I am slowly paying my debt, so I dont go out so much anymore. Better stay at home and take are of kids after work. I only go out when I need to buy something important and only doing groceries.

At first I never really set a budget. I just looked at how much money I had and went shopping. I a lot of times I would spend more than I wanted and suffer the consequences later. Now I have a big family: three daughters and a husband. So now I do a budget of how much to spend and try to get only the things I came in the store for. Its good to treat yourself every now and then... I do. I now only carry my debit/credit card. I only use cash when its necessary. Before I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I loved to go shopping and spend money. I didn't even think about a budget. I just wanted to look my best. My appearance is important to me, but now my kids come first. I have to be careful, because I tend to spend a little extra on my kids. Its worth it. Their happiness means more to me.

i dont really shop now, since our money is just enough for our basic needs... but before when i was able, i will bring just enough cash for it, and most of the time i buy those on sale. i have a credit card but i dont use it for shopping, i only use it for major purchases, like if we need a new appliances because what we have got broken. i also have a debit card which i bring with me all the time, but its really for emergency only, and if when i go shopping and the cash that i have is a bit short of what i am going to buy then i use the debit card.

Basically, I have two modes of shopping. First, I have to buy something. In this case, I will have a budget predefined and only buy the things I am looking for if it falls within my budget. Since I have a predefined budget, it doesn't matter whether I use cash or not. In fact, I treat credit card as cash meaning that every dollar spent using credit card is paired up with cash deposit in my bank. Second mode, I just go window shopping and may buy things that I have not planned ahead. But then, I will tell myself that these things I may buy is not well planned and therefore requires extra money and put extra burden on myself. Thus, I only buy if it really is very cheap so that less burden is placed on me.

If I am spending on big items which involves quite a sum, I would prepare a budget. Otherwise, I would be limited by my credit card limit. I try to pay by card whenever possible as I do not carry a lot of cash with me. In a way, there is some budget limit on the amount of cash I have with me. lol.

I don't set a budget for shopping and haven't done for several years. I only buy what we really need, except at birthday times or Xmas. I used a credit card for most purchases, but always settle up at the end of the month as we've been stuck in debt paying interests charges before and it took a long time to get clear of this. - Derek

I do most of my weekly shopping online I spend a lot less money that way for a start and I pay for it with a debit card so that the cash goes out of the bank straight away. I also set a budget and will not go over that amount even if it means taking something off. I also make a detailed list of everything I need for that coming week. It can be a lot of work and forward planning but it works for me!

I don't use credit card till now. And I think I will not use that thing until I can resist using one. Hehe! And besides I have my savings which I can use whenever I want to go shopping. Actually, I have three kinds of savings. First is for my shopping (luxury). Second is for emergency purposes. And lastly, a saving to sustain life within 3 mos. Hehe! So go, save now! Happy MyLotting!

Ya, i always set a budget when i go shopping and i also will list down the things i need to buy before i go. This will help to reduce the time i spend wondering around or thinking what to buy when shopping. I think listing down the items to buy and set a budget for yourself are important so that you will not overspend and you can just buy the things which are needed. Spend wisely on shopping and you will find that your money can actually be used in various useful stuffs. Enjoy shopping, cheers!

I don't set a budget because I am bad but I think that you should and make a list for thigns that you are going to need like set a menu for what you will be cooking during the week but I do bring cash because with the credit card you might see something else you might want and it will seem like an easy thing to do you just buy it that way you have a certain amount of money you can spend and you cannot spend more