Intentional Spending – Head v/s Heart – 10 Ways To Fool Your Heart
No matter where we are in our life journey, we all have some form of aspiration for the future that may involve a big purchase like a house, a car, an expensive phone, a camera, or a big event like going abroad to study, getting married, or if you are someone who thinks way into the future, then maybe saving for retirement or your children’s education. Whatever the reason, we would love to get to our goals faster rather than later, and one of the most effective ways to do that along with actively saving a certain amount each week/month, is to actively start cutting down on our inconsequential expenses.
These are expenses that may have become part of our lifestyle and we may no longer be conscious of them. Not being mindful of the decisions we take leads to us making a lot of unnecessary choices out of haste or impulse.
My ideology of a slow and intentional living applies to this aspect of my life as well. Being slow and intentional in your decision making can make the world of a difference. When we analyse why we want to buy something in a more practical way, we find ourselves with unexpected answers, only to realise that a majority of our purchase decisions are driven by emotions and not practical needs.
What I am trying to get to here is that tweaking the way we think a little, paying more attention to why we take some decisions and basically turning inwards instead of being driven by external factors, can be the big difference in reaching your financial goals sooner rather than later.
If you are interested to keep reading and gaining some insight on how small saving hacks can add up to a significant change, then you’re on the right path already. I have some of the most useful and practical tips that have helped me over the years to spend less and live a simpler and happier life. As with everything else I share, I acknowledge that not all of the ways listed here could be possible for you to start with. However, the intention is to start the journey and take what fits your personal lifestyle and tailor it accordingly.
Let’s get straight to it then. .
- Impulse shopping
You don’t need it, you know it. But it has popped on your screen with a 50% discount, or you see this while window shopping. Either way your heart now starts screaming that this is the BEST DEAL EVER and you may never get it at this price again. You try to counter it but eventually give in. And there you have it – a brand new purchase you didn’t need but are now a not-so-proud owner of.
How do we stop ourselves then?
Breathe, relax and let go!
Sleep over the excitement for a week, or even better a month. Evaluate how you feel about the same item now. Often, we realise that the initial excitement has worn off and you may no longer want it. Yay! Mission accomplished!!
If you still feel that buying that item can be of some value to your life, please go and buy it. We are trying to save money here, but the intention is not to make living more difficult.
2. Sticking to a shopping list
My husband and I have a very strict rule about this. We go to the store with a list of what we need and refrain from walking around aisles that could tempt us to pick up items that we don’t need. Do this to the best of your ability and don’t beat yourself down if you do pick a snack or two!! 😊
3. Paying attention to those zillion fees
We end up subscribing to memberships or a premium account for a particular movie night, or a premium feature you want for a while and then eventually forget about it. It is a good practice to review these often and unsubscribe from some services that you no longer require. This is an unpleasant activity, having to call or email to get this done (if only unsubscribing was as easy as subscribing 😊), but you will feel so much better once you get to it!
4. Learning to DIY
This has to be one of new favourite ways to save some bucks. My husband and I have recently moved to Australia from UK and moved into an apartment few months ago. While trying to purchase items for the house I was constantly looking at all the piled up delivery carton boxes and thinking of ways to use them. Surprisingly, after having spent some time on Youtube, I have been able to use them in some really innovate ways. I now have 3 plant pot stands, plate compartments in the kitchen and some boxes to keep knick-knacks, all from free delivery cartons!!
Next on my list is to make photo frames! 😊
5. Going through your belongings
Before making a purchase, it is always a good idea to go through your wardrobe or other belongings to see if you have something that could serve a similar purpose. We do tend to forget about a lot of things that we own that are stuffed inside somewhere collecting dust. I have found this working for me many times and has helped me avoid some purchases.
6. Financial goal in your vision board – for that extra boost of motivation
I am a firm believer in how visual aid can be a big factor in stimulating and motivating the brain in ways that work for you. I recommend having your financial goal written in a place that you get to see frequently – maybe your vision board, your journal/dairy or as a screensaver/wallpaper. This is not a money saving hack as such, but a way to get that extra boost of motivation to keep us on the right track.
7. Track your expenses
This habit has been a life-changer for me personally. I have been tracking my expenses for at least 8 years now and it has helped me immensely in planning my budget, setting a spend limit and managing all my expenses. I know exactly how much we spend on groceries, eating out and other non-fixed expenses. Each month I review how we did and look at areas that could have been avoided and apply it to the next month.
Only when you add up all the small expenses you will realise that you spend way more than you think. If you had to choose just one habit from this list, please let it be this one!
8. Selling items
This is a fun way to make some extra cash. This again requires you to go through your stuff and find items that you no longer need. Every time we had to move out of a house, I actively looked for items that could be of better use to someone else and used platforms such as Facebook marketplace, Ebay to sell them off. It’s the perfect outcome – you get some cash and someone else is using an item they needed!
9. Meal prep and planning
This has been another game-changer for my husband and I. Every weekend we sit together and plan our meals for the coming week. This way we know exactly want we need to buy while grocery shopping, and also helps us do some basic preparation ahead of time. During busy weeknights it takes little effort to put a meal together and we are not tempted to give in to the short-term pleasures of ordering in.
Do this for a few weeks and you will get into a rhythm in terms of what works for you and from there on it works like a well-oiled machine! 😊
10. Finding communities
Instead of contributing to big billion brands, why not do something nice for communities that are working to raise funds for a noble cause? You can try to find a community or thrift shop in your locality selling second-hand bikes, books, clothes, household items, furniture etc., and what’s great is that along with saving money you are also helping all the people working hard for a wonderful cause.
11. Treating yourself
This is not a money saving tip, but a way to reward yourself for doing a great job at intentional spending. What I would recommend is to open a savings pot and each time you refrain from that tempting purchase or cook instead of ordering in or any other way you thought you saved, set aside that amount in your savings pot. When you see that money grow little by little, you can see how small changes in your spending habits can make a big difference. Take a small amount out of that pot and treat yourself to something nice, because you deserve it!
In the present e-commerce world, where we are all bombarded with brands, sales, offers trying to seduce us, it is very important to remind ourselves that we should have the power to choose the brand we want to buy from as opposed to the brand finding us with tempting offers.
And I hope I have helped a little in making that decision happen!!
Donya Kosh
After I initially commented I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on each time a comment is added I get four emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks a lot!
svrai88
Hi Donya. Apologies for the inconvenience. I have double checked my settings and can confirm that I do not have the ‘Notify me’ option enabled for new comments. I am still wondering how this was displayed to you. I do not see any other comment from you either. I have reset the settings once again. Please let me know if this continues to happen.