Stop Spending Money - Retail Stores? OY!!

Stop Spending Money - Retail Stores? OY!!
Lately I've been in the mode of not spending money. I have been bicycling to get around the city and have taken the mind set of not spending money on frivolous items.

I must say that I actually have spent money on a few things, like my juicer, some health books, and my membership to the Northwest Leisure Center ( for their weights and sauna ) but aside from that, I have been pretty austere. BTW.. these are purchases that I can well afford, and I am debt free.

I've been travelling around the city on my bike. If I need to go to the gym, or the library, I am taking my bike. The other day I travelled across town to buy a book at Chapters. That's a 5 mile ride and I needed to take a break to get rested.

Chapters Southland is located right besides the Southland Mall in Regina. The Southland Mall is the more upscale mall in Regina. I went in to look and of course there were thousands of people walking up and down the mall.

The thought that immediately occurred to me was, what am I doing in here. I don't really need anything, and I am walking through a mall. As I walked through the mall, I saw all the lovely gadgets and trinkets.

Then I walked by the electronics store. I must say, sometimes I do like electronics. Especially new computers with all the gadgets!! I started salivating at the new features on the computers that I haven't seen before.

SHOPPING MALLS ARE MEANT TO MAKE YOU SPEND MONEY!
I went from just taking a walk break into looking at computers and their accessories. The computer that I have works fine. It's got more than enough of everything, but it's four years old. Four years old means that it doesn't have all the NEW gadgets.! But for what I do on this site, it's WAY MORE THAN ENOUGH!

I thought to myself that I better write about this experience, as part of my stop spending money project.

There are so many people who buy unnecessary items at malls or stores etc. They go into the store because they're bored, or need something to do, and then start spending money.

FIND SOMETHING ELSE (FREE) TO DO
If you find yourself in a position where you are bored and thus are spending money to buy things to amuse yourself, why not change your behaviour and do something else.
1. Volunteer for a non-profit
2. Help out with boy scouts or girl guides
3. Go to the gym and work out.
4. Go over to a friends place and play cards or another board game
5. Write letters to people you haven't seen for a while
6. Figure out ways to enhance the lives of others.
If you've got credit card debt and are continuously spending to stay busy, then my recommendation is to figure out more healthy options that don't require the use of your credit card.

Oh yeah, if you're bored, you've got free time. If you've got free time, why not take that time and figure out things to do. Study up on new things to do.

I would even recommend spending an hour or two each week, planning free activities. Things that are fun, interactive with others, and even helpful to others. This is what community is all about. You don't build community by hanging out in stores stuffing your face with the latest gadgets.

End of rant..

I will continue to blog about these ideas as I come across them.

NOTE: I've been in the same situation where I spent money to offset boredom. I always had the money to pay off my credit cards, however, it becomes an empty addiction. You spend more, but it never really makes you happy inside. Now I've stopped doing that, and am feeling better than ever!!

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4 Comments
On Oct 19, 2008, Monty Loree Said:
Docs.google.com has some free budgeting spreadsheets. Getting deeper into debt means you're more out control, which probably doesn't help depression. You've got to ask yourself where you want to be in 5-10 years. Budgeting is a learning curve, and not an exact science. Spending a few hours a week will help you learn the techniques of budgeting. If you can figure out what your goals are financially, then you'll probably be more motivated to achieve them.
On Oct 18, 2008, Wendy Brinson Said:
I'm having a problem with this now. I'm buying things I can certainly live without. I know I shop out of boredom and depression. We are far from sunk, but I have managed to park myself firmly in my overdraft and now I've got to get out. The problem is I don't know how to stop. I spend most of the money on groceries and laziness shopping. By that I mean I'm not budgeting or meal planning and as a result I'm spending more than I need to. I know it but I keep doing it and my husband is so frustrated. What the heck do I do? How do I budget? I've got budget papers but don't know exactly how to put those dollar amounts down with any realism. Any ideas or sites I can visit with tips?
On Apr 4, 2008, Sdumae Said:
Yes,I do agree.Cautious spending is the need of the hour.
On Apr 2, 2008, Money Advice Said:
Monty,I was literally stumped to read this article.Spending time in malls without buying anything and buying things for the sake of buying is really common not only in Canada but also in other parts of the world .Ways to spend time without spending money was really nice and writing letter to our loved ones was the highlight of all.The message Monty has brought out was loud and clear-\"Only Spend If It Is A Necessary\".