When I was much younger without responsibilities, I was a spend thrift. Then I got married and carried on with the same attitude. I receive a monthly house keeping allowance from my husband and I have a house keeping budget that equates it. Each month I promise myself and my hubby that I would stick to the budget. But hard as I try, I just could not stick to it. Once I get into the supermarket / open market, I shove my grocery list into my back pocket and pile up my trolley.



Two weeks into every new month, the allowance is all expended. I end up having to ask my hubby for additional house keeping allowance. Initially, my tears and promises to be more prudent worked on him, and I’m able to extort more money. Yay! But along the line he stopped giving me additional allowances and encouraged me to practice my profession at home. (I am an accountant and budgeting and budgetary controls are my main KPI).

So I did a bit of reminiscing and came up with the following tips which greatly helped me;
1.Always take stock of the food stuffs and house hold supplies before heading out to shop. With this, I know what I have left and ensure I buy exactly what I need.
2.Always make a shopping list and include the budgeted price of each items and resolve to stick to it.
3.Leave my debit card at home and withdraw the cash I want to spend. The amount I have should equate the amount on the shopping list. No extra cash, no impulse buying.
4.For some items, I ditch the big brand names and go for cheaper brands. They almost taste as good as.
5.I don’t waste any food. I make only what we finish and freeze any leftovers which most times I get creative and recreate into another meal.
6.As a small family, I stay off Bogof for fresh food items! (BOGOF stands for ‘buy one, get one free’). They always end up in the bin because I didn’t need that much in the first place.
7.I never shop when hungry. Hunger sparks off my impulse buying.
8.For items other than household supplies, e.g cloths/ shoes. etc. I window shop before the actual buy.

Did you find any of these tips useful or do you have any tips to share?

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