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It’s funny when you take time to think about where your money goes and why it’s going where it’s going. Writing about personal finance for so long…basically my finances I’ve realized a couple of things: society is set up to make you spend your money the minute you step out your door.
How Do You Entertain Yourself?
Isone of the most important financial questions you should be asking yourself. If you find the majority of how you entertain yourself involves spending money, then you may have found a gold mine of money savings that could be applied to debt repayment.
The Three Activities That Are Killing Your Budget
Clothing shopping:
- I have to say that shopping for clothing was very entertaining to me. I enjoyed thinking of how my new clothes would reinvent me! I enjoyed (depending on the store) the bright lights, the music, and the occasional free mimosa and croissants-yes that happened recently. Having shopped all over the world I have to say that, in general, shopping in the U.S. is a very fun and welcoming experience. People smile at you, give you helpful tips and give you helpful critique on what you’re trying to purchase. Conversations are typically open-ended not just limited to your purchase but can extend to general inquiries about you, your life, and your family. Especially if you become a regular. When I go to to Papyrus, the manager KNOWS me , gives me hugs, and asks how I’m doing. Clearly, I go to Papyrus too much.
Eating Out:
- I love, love, love eating a well-made meal at a super cool special event with a theme. Because I love doing that I make a very conscious effort to avoid eating out of my home as much as possible. In fact, it is very unusual for me to buy a quick lunch out, or just eat dinner out on the fly. I do also enjoy going to a nice happy hour as well. This is a pretty tricky category because a lot of American eating out has also become very social. So, I try to balance out these types of outings with free fun (biking/walking/hiking) or just meet with my friends for coffee. I am very fortunate that they are very supportive and open to my financial habits and that they are also looking to keep expenses down.
Grocery Shopping
- This is the “ringer” in the group. I am sure that none of you were thinking that grocery shopping could be an entertaining activity-but…it really is! Especially if you’re a foodie, enjoy eating, or watch too many cooking shows. As a foodie I find myself really excited about all of the new ingredients, techniques, and food possibilities that are out there. Since I have to eat every day this has proven to be a huge challenge. Americans have an amazing amount of food accessibility compared to many other countries around the world. We also have a ton of space available for food storage, as well as, huge refrigerators, and freezers. I have aggressively worked on eating clean, not eating packaged foods, and food diversity. This approach to eating has really changed my approach to grocery shopping and helped me manage the compulsion to go grocery shopping at the drop of the dime.
How To Manage These Activities and Save Money
- Use what you have-It’s important to really be aware of what you already have. I think that being aggressive checking what’s already in your home (food/clothes) and being aware about using what you have, helps to change your perception of not having anything in the home. For most people you will need to do a 30 day challenge to really trigger this awareness.
- Do a 30 Day Challenge-My longtime readers will know that I am a huge fan of doing 30 Day Challenges. I am such a fan of doing them that I am considering writing an e-book about the importance of doing these challenges a couple of times a year. When you successfully completely one, you eliminate the following phrase from your language “I don’t think I have the self-control to do…”
- Grocery Shop Once A Week-If you are grocery shopping more than once a week, I would encourage you to really look at what you have, create a meal plan for the week and then stick to it. People pop in at the grocery store throughout the week as a result of not knowing what they have in their home. By going once a week you will save so much time-and money!
Related Post:
Are You Using A Grocery App? No? Start Today and Save Money!
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I am an obsessive foodie, but not self-righteous with it, love travel, meeting new people, helping you look good, and am freaked out by people who don't enjoying reading...something! Grab a Perrier, read my blog, feel free to drop me a line! Hope to hear from you soon.
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Grocery shopping is just one of my major expenses every month! I told myself that starting this weekend, I should put a limit and stick to it.
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Michelle saysI love going grocery shopping as I have a major food obsession! I like: looking at food, thinking about food, eating it, etc. So this ends up being one of the expenses I have to really be mindful of. Just going to the grocery store once a week has been super helpful in keeping my budget under control and it saves so much time.
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- C@thesingledollar says
Unfortunately: exercise! I’d love to go to yoga more but at $10 and up for a class, it’s hard to justify. I’m just not motivated enough to do it at home, either. (This is like the grocery shopping in that it’s both necessary and there are lots of ways to make it cheap…but also like grocery shopping, it’s easy for it to get out of control if you’re doing premium stuff.)
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- Michelle says
It pains me to say this but $10 feels like a STEAL! In Denver classes are between $12-$15 on average. If you live in a big enough city try to score some Groupon/Living Social Deals. Exercise is a priority to me so I actually paid for a full year of gym membership already (Black Friday Deal $270) I also bought yoga passes for the first part of the year too! I am not motivated to do yoga at home either. I am more likely to stick with my practice if I go to a studio.
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These ALL have been rough to my budget and my 2015 goals involve cutting these areas back to a reasonable space. Entertainment is my main budget killer every month. It’s crazy how much I can spend on eating out and entertaining myself.
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- Michelle says
I read a couple of studies on American’s eating out habits and we love to eat out! Not only is this killing our budgets but it’s also making us round and chubby. Or, cute and cuddly LOL!
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- knsfinancial says
Eating out is always the one that gets me. It can definitely be entertaining, but the same (or probably more) enjoyment can be experienced at home having friends over.
I’ll be waiting for that e-book to come out. You have to put that on your early 2015 list!
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- Michelle says
I really enjoy going for a nice meal but I just can’t be doing it every day. It’s not lost on me that I have also gained a lot of weight. So, I’m trying to really focus on eating well and managing my money as well.
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Eating out is what I love the most. At times I realize it is kinda weird since I could create a great experience at home, but its just not the same. I miss eating out and I can’t wait until I am in the position to at least eat out once a week without guilt.
I love clothes but spend mostly on my daughter. I have had to really cut back on that also. I’m working on it….working on it.
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- Michelle says
There is a social aspect to eating out-you’re sitting down and breaking bread with the people you care about and spending time with them. So, I totally get it-that’s the part of it that really appeals to me too. But, when I looked at the cumulative yearly cost I found that I was spending WAY too much on food…and I also had gained weight to match the consumption.
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- Jessica says
My husband and I can definitely get carried away with entertainment spending. My husband enjoys some more expensive hobbies and we also like going out to sporting events and concerts, which definitely adds up! I’m mostly content to read a book or watch Netflix, but I’m also inclined to entertain myself with shopping. I love clothes and I love food! A trip to Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite forms of entertainment.
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- Michelle says
Trader Joe’s is definitely food entertainment!!! I also enjoy: concerts, Snowboarding, going to the theater, sporting events, etc. And we have everything here so it’s hard to say “no” to myself.
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- Kirsten says
Good thoughts, Michelle. For us, we actually try to limit our time in grocery stores. I know some people who shop once a month, freezing everything and eating non freezable produce in the early weeks. That’s great, but as a vegan, not wonderful for me. Meal planning would SUCK. So I try to do my main shopping every other week, purchasing only a few items on the other weeks. It helps to not haven I go up and down every aisle – less opportunity to see something that I “have” to have.
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- Michelle says
I was a Vegan for a month and that was super intense! I wouldn’t want to go grocery shopping once a month…I would miss it LOL! Also, fresh veggies and fruit are super important to my meal planning. By going once a week I’ve really kept my grocery expenses at pretty much the same amount $250!
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I do only grocery shop once/week, so I’ve got that one under control for sure. I still have trouble with my eating out and my clothes shopping. Those are the worst ones for me, but I’m getting better.
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- Michelle says
I love all three activities so I had to really figure out how to manage them better. I am happy to say that when I shop I enjoy it! No anti-shopping here.
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I do still love to shop too, but I have to get it under control, haha.
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- Michelle says
Shopping can be a very entertaining experience depending on the store. I once wandered in a store and they were serving mimosas, crossaints, and fresh fruit. Yes, the mimosas actually had alcohol in them. Nom nom.
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- Alexis says
Eating out and groceries are my biggest budget killers. I try and only eat out once a week (and get leftovers), but its mostly a social thing.
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- Michelle says
I love a good meal out. I try to go to happy hours at good food places so that I can eat well and get some socializing in!
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