Take out your phone. Check your Mint account. Those graphs and stats will tell you what you did last night. That you bought a round of drinks for your friends, ate a fabulous dinner, and saw a really awesome concert. What they don’t say is who was along for the ride.
Spending money is just like any other “drug”. It’s addicting and most fun with others. I’m a social spender, so being out with friends or family is definitely my weakness. I adore my few close friends and enjoy getting to know my acquaintances better. Sometimes, I justify a dinner or drinks out, because I need to see these people.
This month I was able to stay under budget in multiple categories. Here are a few strategies I used.
I think of my budget differently. If I have $40 budgeted for eating out, then I need to make that last all month. This month, there are four weekends. If I want to make my budget last all month, I should stay around $10 a weekend on eating out. Thinking of it this way keeps me from blowing my whole budget in one weekend, which I could easily do. The same would go for the rest of my flexible budgets.
Sleep more. It’s just a fact. If I’m asleep almost 12 hours both Friday and Saturday night, I really can’t be out spending money. I love sleep. I think about it all week. When I get up at 6:08 am every work day, that Saturday morning sleep is blissful. Also, sleeping in pretty much cuts out at least one meal.
Don’t get food at the bar. Studies (and Bar Rescue) show that if you eat at a bar, you stay 52% longer, which means spending more money. Instead, get appetizers or split a dinner somewhere with out cocktails.
Ditch the “big city” for a hometown adventure. Dive bars and local festivals can be much more exciting than trying to navigate a new area. Also, just the pure easiness of a familiar area makes it less stressful and less expensive.
Were you over or under budget this month? How can you change your habits and be more successful in December?
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