You’re walking through the mall, just window browsing and ‘BAM’! There’s that thing you’ve been wanting and it’s there and you have extra money in your pocket, so you should be able to spend it safely… and by the time you are finished you are already checking out and there is a hole in your pocket where there was once money before.

It’s a vicious cycle of ‘want’ and ‘spend’ over ‘need’ and ‘save’ that everyone goes through.

As a student we have to be more careful on where the cash flow goes because there are bills to pay and a lot of students don’t work on the side due to tiring course loads, which leads to having to be very frugal with the money one spends.

Here are some strategies to help the wayward soul avoid money spending temptation.

Set goals to keep cost low

Set up some money saving goals to get past using your money on other things. Are you wanting to buy a car? Pay off tuition debts? Whatever goal, once realized, will give you a clear understanding of what you are saving for. You will be less inclined to spend when you know your money could be better saved going towards your goal.

Go for a walk

The Internet can be a danger to your wallet nowadays. And not, it is not due to scams or hacking, but rather because it is so much easier to buy something online now. When you feel the itch to buy online, take a breather and head outside for a walk or to the park. Don’t bring any electronics with you and instead maybe a good book, and enjoy the outdoor weather. By the time you return home, your spending hunger should be less then it was before.

Distract yourself

If you feel the urge to spend coming on, do something distracting. Read a book you love, play a game that is entertaining or watch your favourite movie, anything you enjoy and will have your undivided attention. This aids in forgetting that you wanted to buy something at all.

Invite friends over

People are great distractions and we are social by nature, so why not use that to your advantage? If you want to curb some bad money spending habits invite a few friends over. Make it a fun night, where you can relax at home with the people you enjoy the most to be around. Watch a movie or play board games and by the end of the night you will have had a good time without having to use an extra cent.

Make a lunch

Instead of wasting money buying food, make a lunch instead. Bringing food with makes you less likely to spend money on more. You can use up what’s in your fridge without letting it rot and make a dish that suits your taste buds. A simple lunch, such as a sandwich, would take little time at all to make or you could also use dinner-leftovers to make lunch the next day that much simpler.

Friendly reminders to not spend

Best way to keep yourself from spending is to have a personal reminder. A.K.A., get your friends to constantly stop you from spending. When you waver, have them tell you why you shouldn’t be spending the money and what it can be used for instead. If your friends aren’t available, set your self daily alarms to remind you of why you are saving and why spending the money is a terrible idea. Either way, the reminder aids you into not giving in to the temptation.

Obsess over the cons

Don’t look at the pros of the costs, go over the cons in infinite detail. When you look at the pros of an expenditure you are going to more likely give more reasons as to why it is a good idea to purchase now and only question the consequences later. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to do so. Only pay attention to the cons of spending your precious income. If this means looking at the effects it could have on you in the farther future, think it. When you only focus on the negative it becomes much easier to deny the want to spend.

Do I ‘need’ this? Ask yourself this question, a million times over, “Do I ‘need’ this?”

Most purchases are ‘wants’ rather than ‘needs.’ We want a new game or movie, but we need to buy food to eat. Weigh over in your mind if what you are buying is a ‘want’ rather than a ‘need’. Once identified think about how the ‘want’ will affect future purchases of your ‘needs’. You should be able to determine that by giving in now, you may leave your self into trouble in the future.