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Sometimes it's only too easy to justify why you need to put spending over saving money:
"I'll worry about funding my IRA in January after the holidays."
"I need this new dress because I have to look right at this work event if I want to be up for a promotion soon."
"It's my son's first birthday so I have to throw an amazing party to celebrate."
When temptations to spend are running high, it's more important than ever to understand why you're saving in the first place:
"My wife and I have been dreaming about traveling around the world for years, so maybe the best gift we can give each other is the chance to do that sooner by funding our IRAs."
"I'd rather make sure I don't have to work forever, so I'll make do with my little black dress."
"My son won't remember this party but he will remember the day I tell him how much money he has in his college fund."
Even if you encounter a situation where spending is necessary, you can make smarter decisions with a few simple changes in the way you shop:
Release your inner geek by bringing a calculator. When you're faced with a multitude of options in different-sized packages or compound percentage off sales, unless you're a math genius, use a calculator to figure out what you're really paying. Who cares how nerdy you look when you whip out your calculator to figure out how much a coat that's on sale for 30% off plus an extra 40% off really costs? Certainly not you when you walk out of the store with the best deal.
Give yourself a waiting period. Unless it's a one-day sale, the item you feel you can't live without will still be there tomorrow. It's up to you how long you want to give yourself, but try going home and waiting a day or even a week. If you still want to buy the item, you can, or you may discover you've snapped out of a shopping-induced haze and don't need a robot vacuum after all.
Never shop when you're in a hurry. If you're under pressure, you're less likely to think carefully about shopping decisions because you don't have the time, increasing the chances you'll spend too much. Just think about what it's like to shop for holiday presents on Christmas Eve compared to early November. Make it easier on yourself to make better spending choices by shopping well in advance and planning for trips to take hours, not minutes. Who wouldn't appreciate a world with fewer incidents of parking rage, road rage and waiting-in-line rage because more people give themselves plenty of time to park, shop, stand in line, pay, load the car and sit in traffic?
Think twice, look before you leap, take a moment--whether you're stopping to pull out your calculator or remember why you want to save, pausing is a powerful way to help you keep your finances on track when you're faced with the choice of spending or saving.
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