What things do you do to keep yourself from spending your extra money?

Oh, that's simple. I just don't have any extra money! When my husband or I get paid, we set aside the money we need to pay our bills and other expenses like gas and groceries. Then each of us takes out a certain amount (usually $20) for our own purchases. He uses his to buy little things like snacks and drinks while he's at work, but I tend to put most of mine aside. I'm saving up so we'll be able to do various fun things like take our daughter to the big zoo in the state capital. That's really what has helped me curb my spending. We took our daughter to that zoo for her birthday last month. I took some pictures and had them printed at Walmart. My daughter has been talking about the trip pretty much non-stop since we went. She loves looking at the pictures and telling me how she fed one of the giraffes (scary!) or sat on a wall and watched the oryxes with her daddy. She's taught me that the memories we create are a lot more important than the things we collect.

Any money that I save, it technically doesn't exist, unless there is an emergency. Once I put my money in an account, it is either for the purposes of paying for purchases or to save it for an emergency. If you imagine that the money is not there, then obviously you cannot be spending money that technically "doesn't exist." I also tend to limit my trips outside of the house as opposed to what is absolutely necessary. And by absolutely necessary, I do mean what is absolutely necessary, as I make no trips that do not have a purpose. Also, there are just times where I just take a small amount of cash, perhaps a little extra, but not too much beyond that. Making a list and micro-managing my purchases might seem like a lot of work but it can pay off well in time.

i don't go to the mall, or else i would end up shopping whatever i see.

Hi Dominique, you can use the money to buy investment products instead of consumer products. For example, when you use a hundred dollars or more to buy shares in the stock market, you will not have spent the money on luxuries. Even though many people have lost money in the stock market, that does not mean you will not earn. Those who lost in the stock market never do their homework. They just want to rely on hot tips, and buy when everyone else is buying, and the rich people are selling. As long as you buy into good and stable companies, you will get good returns for your hard earned money. The best companies are those that make money and give out dividend every year. These are the utilities, railway and big companies with diversified businesses.

When i have extra money, i kept it to save more money so if one day if i want the expensive thing i have the money to use, and for emergency use if someone in my family need it .

Nice Discussion Friend. As you are telling self discipline is a really good thing i agree you discipline is the most important for our life. If you have money you have to save them for your future, if you like shopping then you have to spend very low amount of money on it. Save money is the best thing.

At the moment my husband and I are saving up money for our first trip to Asia. I have taken an extra job, but we also have to spend less money in our daily lives if we want to achieve our goal. I have to spend part of my salary on bills and food, and when I get paid I transfer the money for the bills to another account and withdraw the cash that I need for food and other things for one month. The rest of the money stays in my account, and when I have spent the money that I have withdrawn I don't spend more money that month unless something totally unexpected happens and I have to repair something in the house, have to repair the car etc. When I feel like spending money on new clothes and things like that I read in my travel guidebook about Asia and I then I lose the urge to spend the money on shopping and I am able to focus on my goal

I don't have extra money - hee hee!! I'm a stay at home mome - and my hubby is the one who brings in the real income . . . I just make sure we budget and not get so many of the extras. So I never have extra money for myself (which is fine - I really don't need that much - I spend more on the kids though!!). The money I do make online I guess is the "extra" . . . but those are in accounts - like PayPal or on Amazon as gift cards . . . and as I can't make up my mind how to make use of those little funds, I just keep saving them up and not touch them! Also, I have an account in a credit union my parents use . . . and that CU is about 45 minutes away. I never go there, so I never get any money out of that account (too far to touch - ha ha).

it is really hard to manage money and make a budget. so basically, i'll buy all our basic needs and that includes foods. i would rather have many foods that buy things i really don't need. then pay all the bills so i am assured i will not have penalty for that. we have credit cards too and most of the times we are using them. i just think first of all the necessities before buying our wants.

I cut down on the number of visits I make to places that I spend more such as fastfood joint, hotel, drinking bar, and supermarket. I rather save the money on education and health issues.

Having a financial goal or plan can help you minimize spending. Trying mapping out a long term spending plan. With that goal in place, there will be added motivation not to spend and wait until the plan materializes in the long term. Just be sure that your financial plan outweighs any spending that you might do, or the spending goal is more desirable than short term ones. That's what keeps me motivated to save and not spend my extra money. Thinking about that great trip or buying a pricey stuff in the future, or even getting a house or a financial target by a couple of years will surely help. I myself is targeting to become a millionaire in a couple of years time. That is why I am so motivated and focused on reaching that goal as of the moment. It is a self fulfillment thing in the end.

I make a shopping list, before I go I check it, if not needed/necessary anymore at that moment I remove it from the list. I only pay cash and take the money I need with me, no more. I only buy if it's for the price or the article I want. If not I don't buy the (more expensive) substitute. If it comes to clothes/shoes etc I never buy it at once. Try to get it via friends (kids clothes etc) or wait as long as possible (sale at shop or) I don't go shopping for fun. I do my groceries mostly once a month so I only need some fresh food once a week or less.

Self discipline! Abstinence! Haha. It is really hard to avoid spending extra money. However, if i really want to earn and save my money, i just keep it. Try to sacrifice a little bit even though i really want to buy something. Well, i am still a student and i only earn money though my allowance but not i will try to earn more even just few here in mylot. However, i think, if will have a job, i think i can't force myself to avoid by the things i really want to have, but i will still make sure that i have something to left for myself. :) . Earning and saving money is really hard but one more thing is harder, it is to find where can we get money.

I'm saving money right now coz I really want to buy DSLR camera. I refrain from shopping online and buying branded shoes. I really want to have SLR camera that's why I cut my spending.

In the past you months, I've really become conscious about what I spend on. I'm not keeping myself from buying anything fun, just when I see something I like, I'm waiting for a week or two to see if I'm still thgat enthusiastic about it. So, after a while, I truly see what I'm really longing for, and what's just something that caught my eye in a certain moment, but isn't that important for me. Also, I've become more frugal. Using coupons, knowing cheap places. I also keep a list about stuff I'd like, because in my family, especially in my mom's case, it's kind of ordinary that they ask what I'd like for occasions (birthday, Christmas etc.), so that it's not like I don't know, but I have a list of items I've been eying/I need. And I'm entering a lot of giveaways. Sometimes I'm lucky, and I kind of milden my thrist for shopping, when I receive my prizes :).

You see, we are a consumer society. It"s is embedded in our mind to achieve goal by spending more and more. If you take into consideration the breaktrough of technology in the last 20 years, you"ll notice it"s even easier to spend more money nowdays such as the use of credit cards. Only one thing hasn"t changed - self control. Once you learn how to control your expenses, surely the next morning will be easier to handle.