{"id":26548,"date":"2024-03-04T08:07:11","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T08:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/?p=26548"},"modified":"2024-03-04T08:07:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T08:07:13","slug":"how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Spending Money on Unnecessary Things?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Do you know what you spend your money on?<\/strong> You might have a general idea but a lot of us don\u2019t know where all our money goes. You think you can afford to live on your salary but then you keep running out. If you\u2019re using your credit card or taking out <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/loans\/short-term-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short term loans<\/a><\/strong> to keep you going, then you\u2019re overspending. Although a short term loan or emergency loan is not a bad thing, but it should be taken out only when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why is this and what can we do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Well, the reason we keep overspending is for two reasons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We want what we can\u2019t afford, so we borrow the money rather than go without.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some of our income goes on paying back what we\u2019ve borrowed. This leaves us with even less money to buy what we want. So, the overspending continues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Borrowing should always be planned and budgeted for. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Loans<\/a><\/strong> and credit cards should be used for big purchases like a car or for emergency expenses. If you\u2019re borrowing just to supplement your lifestyle, then this\u2019ll lead you into difficulty. You must do something about this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that there are things you can do. Whatever spending habits you\u2019ve got you can change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here we\u2019ll give you <strong>tips on how to stop spending on unnecessary things<\/strong> and take back full control of your finances. Even if you have no debt, these tips will help you save money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f2850e1bfa9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f2850e1bfa9\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#1_set_financial_goals\" >1. Set Financial Goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#2_set_a_budget_for_everything\" >2. Set a Budget for Everything<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#3_subscriptions\" >3. Subscriptions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#4_food_shopping\" >4. Food Shopping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#5_avoid_temptation\" >5. Avoid Temptation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#6_recycle\" >6. Recycle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-stop-spending-money-on-unnecessary-things\/#final_words\" >Final Words<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-set-financial-goals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_set_financial_goals\"><\/span><strong>1. Set Financial Goals<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To help you get on top of your personal finances, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-set-financial-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-set-financial-goals\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">set yourself some financial goals<\/a><\/strong>. When you\u2019re aiming for something, it\u2019s easier to resist the temptation of buying what you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your goal is, imagine how you\u2019d feel if you achieved it. Get a photo that represents the goal and keep it in your wallet. That way, when you\u2019re about to spend money, you\u2019re reminded to think about whether it\u2019s worth buying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-set-a-budget-for-everything\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_set_a_budget_for_everything\"><\/span><strong>2. Set a Budget for Everything<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes we avoid writing down everything we spend in case we don\u2019t like the outcome. But it\u2019s better to know where the money\u2019s going than to simply hope we\u2019ve got enough. By facing up to exactly what you spend your money on, and how you spend your money, you can find ways to reduce unnecessary spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key is to put down every penny you spend. Look through past bank statements to remind yourself of things you may have overlooked. You\u2019ll be surprised at just how much you spend on things you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-subscriptions\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_subscriptions\"><\/span><strong>3. Subscriptions<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at what you\u2019ve signed up to that you can cancel. Digital media subscriptions are obvious ones. Look for alternatives like free online music and movie streaming services.&nbsp; Or see if you can find cheaper options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try taking up a new hobby that fills your time but that doesn\u2019t cost much to do. That way you won\u2019t need to get all your entertainment from your subscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-food-shopping\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_food_shopping\"><\/span><strong>4. Food Shopping<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By not planning your meals each week you may find you end up taking the easy option and getting takeaways. Cooking at home doesn\u2019t have to be hard or time consuming. Look up cheap and easy recipes, then plan what you\u2019re going to eat each day of the week. You\u2019ll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-save-money-on-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>save money<\/strong><\/a> and are more likely to eat healthier meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-avoid-temptation\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_avoid_temptation\"><\/span><strong>5. Avoid Temptation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways you can stop yourself from spending on things you could do without. One way is to avoid going into shops. If there\u2019s something you must buy, then order just that one item online. By not seeing what\u2019s on sale, you won\u2019t be tempted to buy what you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other way to avoid impulsive spending is to leave your credit cards at home. If you haven\u2019t got the money with you, you can\u2019t spend it. Just because something is reduced doesn\u2019t make it a bargain if you don\u2019t need it. Hold on to your money instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-recycle\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_recycle\"><\/span><strong>6. Recycle<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Look around your home at all the \u2018stuff\u2019 you have. Everyone has items they don\u2019t use \u2013 clothes, furniture, toys, jewellery. Have a look around and sell anything that\u2019s not being used. The extra money can be saved or used to reduce any debts you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t forget the charity shops. If you\u2019re in need of something and you like a bargain, these are the places to go. You can find clothes in good condition that cost a lot less than what you\u2019d pay if they were new. You can pick up some great items of furniture if you need them too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good thing about recycling is that you\u2019re helping the planet at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final-words\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"final_words\"><\/span><strong>Final Words<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping on top of your finances doesn\u2019t have to be stressful. By taking a good look at where all your money goes, you can make positive changes that will help. Being in control of your finances helps <strong>reduce financial stress<\/strong>, and we could all do with less stress in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> Please note, we are not providing financial advice, these are just tips for informational purposes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you know what you spend your money on? You might have a general idea but a lot of us don\u2019t know where all our money goes. You think you can afford to live on your salary but then you keep running out. If you\u2019re using your credit card or taking out short term loans [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":26550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26548"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26548"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27939,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26548\/revisions\/27939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lendingstream.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}