This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about frugal burn out - you know, when you're sick of clipping coupons and dying to go spend like a crazy person at the mall!
I've been in the frugal funk myself, and we've paid for it with a higher grocery bill the last month. It happens to the best of us! When it kicks in, remind yourself why you're budgeting and being careful in the first place. Do you need to pay off bills? Are you saving for something special?
If it's saving for something special, find ways to remind yourself. If it's a big screen TV your family wants, go visit stores that have them. If it's a vacation you are saving for, borrow a video from the library about the area or attraction you want to visit. Allow yourself a small purchase towards it just to perk yourself up - purchase a pair of shorts or a swimsuit if you're planning a trip somewhere warm. Pick up a Blu-Ray movie if you're saving for a Blu-Ray player and TV.
If you're saving to pay off bills, I know that struggle very well. (Too well!) Burn out can get bad, and stick around for longer than you want it to, if you don't get it out of your system. Visit coupon forums and coupon blogs, and read up on their killer deals to try to help motivate yourself to hang in there - because who wants to spend $50 when you can get the same items for under $20 (or better, depending on your stores) Allow yourself some fun things with coupons - splurge on a bit of coupon helped junk food, or pretty smelling bath wash. If all else fails, plan a mini staycation by head over to local travel websites and look for deals on attractions near you, hit up the movies on a matinee, or wander out shopping with a small amount in your wallet. (leave your cards at home, or else this is very dangerous!!!)
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3 comments:
yes maam it does happen to the best of us! Once per year I will treat myself to something I dont NEED but want. This is usually a new purse but some times its not. But this is the one time where I force myself to not fall into guilt. the one time where I reward myself from turning pennies into copper wire all year!
Those are some very good suggestions. We too, are in the process of paying for the vacations of the CEO's for Citi and Chase. It can seem like a long road to travel, but doing something small for ourselves every now and then, can make it a bit more bearable.
Yeah, I in a frugal frump now too. I shopped a few days ago and bought an item that I know I had a coupon for, but I didn't bring. But I did order some clothes online and got deals on shipping and online coupons, so I saved a lot there. Much more than if I remembered that silly coupon. And I was buying for a vacation I want to be taking. So in a sense it was for the vacation. I also lost some weight and every pair of pants I own was too big, so the shopping spree was necessary. The coupon not clipped still irks me though. lol!
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