Question by tigerlilly: Impulsive spending habit…Personal finance problems…HELP?
Yeahh. I’m a teenage girl.
I used to be really good at saving money, but not so much anymore.
I’m 15.
This summer I’ll have three jobs and I don’t want to spend any at all until the end (on school supplies and clothes)
I need to start saving money for university.
BUttt….everytime I get paid and get handed money it’s like I HAVE to spend it.
How do I…not?
oh yeah, forget to mention: parents are out of the picture. I don’t go to the or depend on them for any help so thats not an option. I’m on my own.
Best answer:
Answer by David M
You know it’s bad to spend all your money, yet you do it anyway. Sounds like you have an addictive problem that you need professional help with. Nobody here can help you with that.
What do you think? Answer below!
My friend’s parents dont’ trust her at all, so they put any and ALL of her money in the bank and keep the card themselves, taking money out only for events and usually less than she asks for. (Ex: she wants 100, they give her 50 and maybe an extra 10 from them if she’s been good.) It’s sort of controlling, but I think that other people in your life controlling the money for a while would help you break your habit.
Good luck!
maybe try to save some of your paychecks every time you get paid. idk how much your paychecks are for but say put 20 dollars per paycheck into a bank account. and just keep increasing the amount. try to do more free activities… and avoid spending money on eating out or spending random money on things like gum, “well, it’s only a dollar”- all of those dollars add up pretty quickly!
save all your change, too. put it in a dish or something then bring it to one of those coin star machines or a bank.
and try not to spend money on clothes if you’re going to get new clothes for school, try to mix and match outfits with the clothes you already have. and when you do go shopping for clothes, do some research and find a good bargain.
and seventeen magazine just had this article about saving money. here’s some tips from the article:
save $ 35 a month: text 4 cash:
sign up for free bank balance texts
save $ 50 a month: sleep on it:
before you buy something because you have to have it- at any price, wait a day and decide if you really need it
save $ 20 a month: swap&save:
swaptree.com – trade dvds, books& cds
save $ 120 a year: chat freely:
use free text sites and apps, like on yahoo! email/messanger or goole’s googletalk instead of paying for texting.
save $ 50 a year: slow down:
“you want to get where you’re going, but if you drive 55 mph instead of 65 mph, you’ll go farther with the same amount of gas. Bonus: you’ll avoid having to fuel up as much and be safer on the road!”
save $ 520 a year: see the future:
save a picture as something you’d love to buy, like a car- every time you turn on your computer you’ll have inspiration to save. set a personal goal to save $ 10 a week.
you could also try things like having a movie night at home instead of paying for tickets and everything and doing your own nails and hair with your friends instead of paying expensive fees at the salon. you could even try looking through some used clothes or looking on ebay for things you think you want.
good luck saving =D
I agree with David. You need professional help. Talk to a counselor at school. Getting someone else to hold your money for you is not the same as you being responsible for it.