Comments on: Focus on Something New to Stop Spending Money

By: sue

sue — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:55:26 +0000

This sounds like excellent advice. I’m trying to find a way to stop myself from spending money on things that I don’t need and can’t afford. I feel like all my energy is focused on spending, be it a new pair of shoes, a new rug, or even just a box of toothpicks. I can’t go into a store without buying something. It never occured to me to just find something different to focus on. Looking forward to putting this into action.

By: Penniless Parenting

Penniless Parenting — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:27:41 +0000

You say that babies are expensive; they don’t have to be. Nursing babies that are cloth diapered and dressed in thrift store clothing or hand me downs can cost next to nothing. I think that I have spent a total of less than 100 dollars on my 7 month old baby.

By: Cd Phi

Cd Phi — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:44:42 +0000

So true. When I keep myself occupied, shopping barely crosses my mind. That occurred when I got a job…

By: MoneyNing

MoneyNing — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:24:19 +0000

I did mean that she didn’t pay for anything in a month. As for food, we prepaid for an “after pregnancy meal plan” for 30 days counting from the day Emma got out of the hospital, so she weren’t really able to splurge on that either.

By: MoneyNing

MoneyNing — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:22:11 +0000

I bet the fruits are sweeter too. When something is cheaper AND better, it’s a wonderful feeling isn’t it?

By: Stanley

Stanley — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:12:09 +0000

Funny you mention photography. I just took a beginner’s “how to take photos” class and every student had fancy brand new cameras while the teacher had a super dated camera.

Everyone thinks photography is expensive but if you focus on taking good pictures, you don’t really always need to buy the latest and supposedly “best” equipment.

By: Vick

Vick — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:28:26 +0000

It’s so true that even paying some money can end up saving you lots if you actually make good use of that particular activity.

I bought a bike 2 years ago for a few hundred dollars but I ride on a trail every Sunday morning. I feel more energetic, and I bet I won’t be spending as much on health care when I get old.

By: Jersey Mom

Jersey Mom — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:16:46 +0000

Focusing on something like a hobby is great fun. Just like in your example, I started my own blog back in February. I also tend to the garden and watching my herbs come back to life.

Your wife spent $0? You mean no clothing, shoes, make-up, and “stuff” for herself right? If that’s the case, I’ve spent $0 since at least 1/2 year ago …although if “food” is considered stuff then that’s a different story because I do splurge on food. =)

By: Sylvain

Sylvain — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:39:37 +0000

Excellent advice. I’m into different hobbies, one of them is gardening. With very little initial costs, you can do a lot. Start small with some seeds you bought or even better ask someone who is already gardening. Quite often they will have some spare seeds for you and will be delighted to give you some advice to help you start.
Soon enough you will spend several hours a week taking care of your small plants, which is as exciting as relaxing. Plus you get a lot of satisfaction and good feelings once your plants get bigger and start producing flowers and fruits.
Plants only need some soil, water and light. So stay away from all the fancy stuff and gardening will be one of your cheapest hobbies.