6 Habits of People Who Never Overspend (best saving money tips ideas)

In the moment, overspending feels good.

It feels good to spend money. It feels good to have something new. Spending money is an enjoyable way to zone out (it’s an easy way not to think about our problems).

But when we’ve made a habit of overspending, many of our other moments are tinged with stress, and agitation. We want that release of another purchase. But keeping up with the necessities has us feeling like we’re drowning.

Being stuck in a cycle of overspending is mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting.

It’s time to consider the habits of people who never overspend.

1. Monitor Your Money

When you don’t monitor your money, it disappears. Why? Because it is so ridiculously easy to spend money! For everyone!

Little expenses pop up all the time. Little indulgences. They feel insignificant. They feel reasonable. But they will sink your bank account.

Does that mean you can’t partake in indulgent spending? Not at all! But you need to do it in a way that allows you to live within your means. How?

Monitor your money.

Give yourself an allowance. Set a limit on how much indulgent spending you can do every month. Keep track of it!

Adjust your spending until your savings grows every month (ideally, you want to save 10% of your monthly income every month).

Are you doing one of these bad habits??

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• Related: 7 Bad Habits That Are Keeping You Poor (+ how to fix it)

Check out these tips to save money on one income fast!

2. Keep Your Home Tidy

A sign someone may have an overspending problem is a cluttered home.

Stuff is bought, the stuff starts to accumulate, the house becomes more difficult to clean, and before you know it, you’ve got a cluttered home.

Decluttering is a wonderful way to ameliorate a pesky overspending habit.

As you declutter, more and more space starts to open up in your home. You have free courter space, more organization, and more functionality. It becomes clear… space feels good.

And what takes space away? Stuff!

So try keeping a tidy home. When you get the urge to shop online, maybe do a little decluttering instead.

Soon, stuff sounds more like a headache than anything else.

Do you know how to Declutter with these Genius Marie Kondo Organizing Hacks??

3. Shop with Function in Mind

There are few things more satisfying that shopping for function. They are the gifts that keep on giving.

Shopping for function means to make your life easier. It makes things easier to clean, easier to organize, easier storage, easier to do chores.

These purchases make being responsible easier and therefore more enjoyable.

So how does spending money help with an overspending problem?

It’s a good mental check. Ask yourself, “Will this product make my life better, easier, or more efficient?” If the answer is no, put the item down. It’s just going to become more clutter in your house.

Save your money for a fun functional purchase. They’re awesome.

Earn Cash Back When You Shop with Dosh

When you do find something you can afford that serves a purpose, how would you like to purchase it and get cash back, too?

Dosh is a cash-back app that allows you to earn free money without even thinking about it.

Once you download the Dosh app and connect your credit and debit cards, you earn free money every time you make a purchase at a Dosh-participating business (100,000+ places).

Your free money appears in your Dosh Wallet, which you can transfer to your bank, PayPal, or Venmo.

Download Dosh and earn free money while you shop with a purpose.

• Related: Dosh Review: Is the Dosh App Safe or a Scam?

These are the best ways to lower household expenses!

Teach Your Children the Value of Hard Work and Saving Money with Greenlight

Want a simple solution to set your children on track for financial success?

You can teach them the importance of careful spending, wise saving, generous giving, and the value of hard work with Greenlight, the debit card for kids and teens.

Greenlight is a secured debit card tied to a bank account that helps teach your children about being smart with their money.

You can set limits on how much they have to spend, so they will have to think twice before wasting money on mindless purchases instead of saving for that Xbox. 

You can teach them the value of hard work when you set up chores for them to do.

After they complete the work, they get paid.

You can teach them the importance of saving by giving them an incentive to do so with “parent-paid interest.”

If they save so much, you will pay them interest.

It’s a great motivator to get into the habit of saving while they are young.

The secured debit card is connected to a bank account, and you control how much to put on your children’s card (you can have up to five debit cards for one low, monthly fee).

You can set limits on how much to spend at restaurants, at gas stations, and even how much they can withdraw from an ATM. Sign up for Greenlight today and get your first month free.

• Also See: 8 Money Lessons You Didn’t Learn in School (but should have)

When you stop spending money on these things, you can save thousands!

4. Everything Needs a Place

So you want that thing? Okay, where are you going to put it? Does it have a place? Or is it going to become clutter in your house?

If something doesn’t have place, it’s going to become clutter in your home. It’s that simple.

Before you buy, ask yourself, “where am I going to put it?”

This is a super effective check-in before you buy.

Want to know how to live on nothing? This is how you do it.

5. Cook Great Food

Food is generally everyone’s biggest expense. Choosing to eat out regularly is crazy expensive and will wreck any budget.

Do what you can to eat in. The key is to keep it simple. Fresh veggies and chicken go a long way.

Fresh vegetables are cheap. Eat more veggies! You can make them taste delicious if you throw them in the oven with some oil and salt. Add some minced garlic and chili powder to make them extra good.

Try cooking veggies this way. Whatever it takes, find a way to love veggies and eat them until you are full. When you fill up on veggies, your grocery bill will drop tremendously.

Save Even More with Ibotta

Not only can you save money by cooking delicious food at home, but you can also save even more money when you shop for groceries.

Ibotta is the No. 1 cash-back app for groceries and everyday essentials.

When you pay through the Ibotta app, use the browser extension, or submit a receipt for your grocery shopping, you earn free money.

It also works for grocery delivery and pickup orders. 

Want to hear even more ways Ibotta can save you money? Check out our Ibotta explainer video, here!

Download the free Ibotta app (+ grab a $20 welcome bonus).

• Related: Ibotta App Review: Is Ibotta Legitimate?

These simple money saving techniques will help you thrive on a low income!

6. Take Care

Life is challenging. Everything is constantly changing. We are constantly having to maneuver, change, and adjust just to maintain. It can feel overwhelming. So we overspend.

Remember to take care. Fill your day with productivity. Cut out some social media time. And give yourself time to relax.

Can you set time aside each day to simply be? It can be so nourishing for your nervous system to take a moment to pause and feel yourself breathe.

Enjoy your time. Enjoy your money. Enjoy your life.

• Related: 5 Surprising Benefits of Meditation