Checklist: 10 signs that you are prone to squandering
alexander savina
Money is a difficult thing: we all dream of spending less and postponing for the future, without denying anything, but to dream, as they say, is not harmful. Financial problems may have different causes; for example, there is the concept of oniomania - it is an obsessive desire to buy, comparable to any other addiction; in this case, it is better to seek help from a psychotherapist. Most save up the lack of habit to keep the budget and impulsive spending. We talk about ten signs that may indicate that you should take a closer look at your own financial habits.
1
You do not understand where the money goes
Not everyone has enough willpower to painstakingly keep a budget and write down every item of expenditure - it is enough for someone to just imagine their spending. But if you live "from paycheck to paycheck", or you want to postpone, but it does not work, it may be time to see what you are spending money on.
Try at least a month to honestly record all expenses - often we have no idea how much money actually goes to morning coffee, business lunches or taxis. The most advanced can go to category planning and estimate how much they can afford to spend per month on food, entertainment and everything else.
2
You rely on a credit card
In addition to the obvious advantages, bank cards have some drawbacks. In the first place - the psychological effect: it is easier to pay with a card than to part with cash - we do not hold bills in our hands, and there is no difference between a hundred and five thousand electronic rubles.
But if a debit card does not allow you to spend more than you have, then with a credit card it is easier to get into debt - especially if you are accustomed to relying on it not as a means for emergency cases, but as another item of income. If you want to handle this, you can use a credit card as a debit card or try to pay more often in cash.
3
You hide purchases from others and lie about spending
If you are ashamed of how much money you spend, it does not mean that you spend too much - but this may be a reason to think. One of the signs that you should pay attention to is if you are hiding new purchases from loved ones or lying to them about your expenses. Those who spend too much are often afraid to admit that they have problems because they do not want to upset them.
4
You save important expenses
If small impulsive spending interferes with achieving more important goals, this is an occasion to think. For example, if you want to get a second degree, you should go to the doctor for a long time, you want to save up for a new repair or go on vacation abroad, but you can't do it consistently from month to month - pay attention to how you manage your budget, and follow the costs.
5
You constantly borrow
Everyone has difficult moments: it seems there is no person who would never borrow. There is nothing special about this, as long as you pay your debts on time and do not turn money borrowed from others into a permanent source of income. But if you understand that temporary difficulties are protracted and you regularly borrow from relatives or friends, and then re-borrow to distribute these debts, you may not have the means to pay or you should look for additional sources of income.
6
You are late in paying your bills
In a perfect world, you pay bills as soon as they arrive, and safely forget about them until next month. In the real world it happens that you have to wait a few days with the payment - for example, wait until the advance comes.
But if new bills arrive earlier than you have time to pay old ones, or, worse, accumulate for several months, it’s time to evaluate the costs - for example, can you afford to rent an apartment in this area or should you look for cheaper housing.
7
You have no savings
It is believed that the ideal budget should be based on the 50/20/30 scheme: 50% is spent on mandatory expenses such as paying for housing, bills, food and transport, 30% are optional but pleasant expenses, such as a subscription to a fitness club or going to the movies , and 20% are savings, and you should think about them before you start to incur optional expenses.
In reality, many either postpone at the end of the month what remains after other spending, or save large sums, but irregularly, or have no accumulations at all - and in an unforeseen situation, for example, when they are fired, they find themselves in crisis.
8
You often "spoil" yourself
Another common scheme that prevents you from saving for important purposes is the habit of holding back and saving, and then “rewarding” yourself for this with a big purchase: this is how you risk spending much more than if you did not adhere to the austerity regime. Experts advise to pay attention to the situations in which you spend more, and try to look for an alternative to them - for example, go cycling with friends instead of going to a cafe.
9
You are mindlessly using subscriptions
Subscriptions to paid services are an insidious thing: on the one hand, automatic payment is very convenient, on the other hand, you can safely forget about a subscription and suddenly find out that you paid for an extra month or two. As in the case of a subscription to a fitness club, think about whether you really will use the subscription all year long and if you often use all the services to which you are subscribed: if you need Apple Music just for a couple of songs a month, it's better refuse.
10
You give in on sales
In June, the first stage of sales starts - it is not only an opportunity to buy actual things, paying less, but also the realm of meaningless spending: we often buy what we don’t need at all, simply because we see the cherished inscription "-50%". Remember that buying even with the biggest discount is still a waste.
Photo: lightsecond - stock.adobe.com, component - stock.adobe.com, vit_kitamin - stock.adobe.com