11 tips for cutting down the number of things you buy

Only buy what you can carry... especially in the grocery store or Wal-Mart/Target. It really makes you prioritize what you need vs. what you want.

i think #2 is true, but the example chosen is poor. you actually need to buy the computer first, and the software later. otherwise you may end up with an incompatible software, aka waste of $.

#7 and #11 have recently become my new motto! I have been trying to aggressively tackle credit card debt, and my husband recently took a huge pay cut, so we have been working with a smaller amount of money.
I used to not think twice about running to the store for 1-2 things and walk out $60-$100 later. And I would do this sometimes 2 or 3 times a week.
I now make a list and only go to the store once a week. My other trick is if I need something for dinner I send my husband. He hates the store so he goes in, gets what I sent him for and gets the heck out of there. This is how I avoid my impulse buying. :)

"Don’t tell yourself, “I can always return it”; remind yourself, “I can come back if I decide I need it.”"

Terrible idea. I've done this before and the item was no longer carried. More than one occasion too. I WILL return something if I don't use it or it doesn't fit. Yesterday I took 3 bras back to Victoria's Secret because they didn't fit right. I've also passed up sales, only to come back shortly after and pay full price (like with food). People who plan ahead are more likely to save. If I run out of flour because I didn't pick some up when it was on sale or the last time I went to the store when I wasn't out yet, I'll go back to the store, buy flour... and 5 more items I don't necessarily need. Less trips to the store is better for my wallet. I rarely toss things, if I buy in bulk, I use it or freeze it.

When I have the urge to shop I park the furthest from the mall, leave my wallet in the car, window-shop and if I really want an item desperately enough, I walk back out to the car to grab my wallet. That gives me more time to think about the purchase. Then, I either go back in to purchase the item, or, get in the car and leave.

When I see something I like that is pricey but not necessarily beyond my means, I find putting in my basket and walking around with it helps me decide. More often not, I will stumble across other things (less $) that I like equally, and find that I can put the big splurge back at the end of my shopping. My second trick is this question: Will I absolutely die if I don't have this? It may sound silly, but keeping it in my possession for an hour or so, often tells me exactly how bad I want it. If I am not willing to walk right up to the register and pay and leave, then obviously, my mind is still in "something better out there" mode, which means that I can walk out without it and be just fine

With regard to wet market products like veggies and the like, oftentimes some veggies go to waste. Maybe, these are the small little things I overbuy which I need not to.

I used to shop like 3-5 days a week until my husband and I both lost our jobs. We have an 18 year old in college, so now #11 is my best friend!

thanks alot for the tip....especially number 9 :-) tksss

this is a good list #1 is good for me because I rarely have cash on me I'm usually always swiping my card and buying something I don't necessarily need. #6 used to be my motto but since I'm unemployed I think I'll try the flip side of that. my husband knows I buy to much crap esp clothes so whenever I get something new he makes me throw out something old that has cut my shopping down because I like all my stuff lol

The best advice I ever took was to only take the cash you can spend into a store, leave excess cash and credit/debit cards at home, that way you cannot even get the extra money in the car.. you can only spend what you budgeted for and brought with you.. it is a great system and it works.

SO true. Especially #2 and #7.

I would also add to figure into your budget the maximum amount of money you can spend at a particular store before going there, so you have to keep track of how much you're spending as you go along.

I'm with you Kelli G. I'm a card user kinda girl, who tracks her banking and expenses online. Cash burns holes in my pockets...

All this talk about not spending is really hurting the economy. There needs to be controlled spending and people need to have confidence or the economy will never get back on track. I am 57 years old and our net worth has been in freefall since before 2000. I am tired of hearing about it. Something desparate needs to be done. I don't believe I will see prosperity in my lifetime. Business won't survive if we keep talking about not spending, not excessively, but right nowwe just keep talking about not spending. I am very afraid for our country, because we are in stalemate. Nobody wants to spend, so nobody wants to buy. We absolutely have to break this cycle. Our country just keeps getting worse.

how funny, me as an underbuyer have a tendancy to purchase everything at once to rest assured I don't have to go back. ironically, I have a pretty good idea of what I want so I usually don't leave much for waste.

I came up with my own way to limit my clothes shopping.....if, when trying it on, I spend more than 30 seconds to a minutes looking at it on me, then I don't buy it. Chances are, it won't be worn that much, if at all. I have saved a lot of money and closet space by doing this!!!

I disagree with number 1. For me if I have cash I want to spend it, if I only have my debt card I think more about my purchase.
Maybe it is just me.

Did anyone send this to the White House?
I believe they need it more than we do.

#4 doesn't make much sense.

But a lot of this is common sense. We've spent so much time feeling free to spend what we want on things we don't need that we have to re-train ourselves to make smart choices.

I agree shopping on a empty stomach is a mistake. I like the idea of nibbling on a snack while doing the shopping. I too feel this will help stop a person from purchasing things they really don't need. I am also all for staying out of the stores. I don't particularily enjoy going to stores. I am one who will try to shop till I drop to stop myself from having to go again. I do love clothes and shoes so I really have to take a strong hold of myself when entering departments stores. Everything looks so good.