Do you find it difficult to stick to your financial goals? Do you find yourself tempted to buy things you want but don’t need? If so you might want to give these ideas a try. They seem a bit strange, but they have helped me curb unnecessary spending.
First, change the passwords on your online shopping accounts. If you are an avid online shopper you probably have accounts set up at all sorts of online stores. Log on to the sites that you frequent the most and update your account information with passwords that will remind you of your goal. If you want to avoid spending change your password to something like NoBuying2013. If you want to save for retirement make it NotTil401K.
Log on to as many sites as you can now, long before you get the urge to go shopping. While you are updating your password don’t poke around in search of the latest styles. Just log in, change your passwords and log back out.
Hopefully the next time you get an urge to spend you’ll change your mind after typing in your password. It’s an easy, in your face reminder of your long term goals.
If you find yourself spending money in stores take a picture of your goal, print it out and wrap it around your credit card or place it in the front of your wallet where you typically hold your driver’s license or other form of identification.
Do you want to buy a new home? Find a photograph of a house you’d love to own. Do you want to become a stay-at-home parent? Place a picture of your children in the fold in front of your credit cards.
Whatever your dream find a photograph that represents that image and place it among the dollar bills or credit cards, so that you have to move it out of the way in order to spend money.
When you reach the checkout counter the picture may help you to pause and review your upcoming purchases. As you look down at the image of the beach you wish to visit or the home you want to buy you may think twice about purchasing something you really don’t need.
It’s often difficult to focus on long term financial goals. Hopefully these gentle reminders will prevent you from unnecessary spending.