Spending money is something that all of us like to do. It’s not as though we wake up and think to ourselves different ways that we can start spending money, but more along the fact that we may wake up thinking of different items that we want to buy. Anytime we see something we like, we either make two choices. We purchase the item, or we fight the urge to purchase that “want.” Making that decision isn’t always an easy one. In our minds, we know we have a budget to follow, but we also know that we WANT that item. At that point, what takes over…the “need mentality” or the “want mentality?”

How to Start Budgeting if you Like to Spend

• Understand the need for having a budget. If you like to spend, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to feel that way. Many people like to spend money and go shopping. It’s understandable! Buying new clothes, shoes, and other wanted items tempts us all. What’s even more tempting, though, is that we need to remember that we create a budget for ourselves to save money for our future and pay our current bills that we are required to pay. Once you can understand and appreciate those points for staying on budget, it will become easier to remain within those budget guidelines.

• Create guidelines for yourself. If you like to spend, you need to own it and understand it. Instead of trying to constantly feel bad for wanting to spend money, create guidelines for yourself to help you balance those emotions. If you struggle with shopping, why go to places as frequently that make you want to spend money? While it may not be easy to stay on budget, you may have to stay away from certain stores you can’t say no to. Try it for a month or so and see how you feel. Pay attention to your budget at this time to see if it’s staying in a positive direction rather than being spent as frequently. Just as important, if you need to stay away from certain places not to spend money, then you also need to try to stay away from online stores and sites that tempt you just as much. It’s just too tempting and easy to buy online. If you need to stay on budget when you like to spend, you have to give yourself some guidelines to follow.

• Tell yourself no. Doesn’t sound very fun. Telling yourself no is sometimes just one of those things that are a “must” to happen. When you want to buy something, you can either talk yourself into it or not. If you find that you want to buy something bad enough, your mind may give you unlimited reasons why it’s a good idea to move forward in making that purchase, but your budget needs to be the one that has to give you only one reason as to why it’s not a good idea. Telling yourself no is something that you may dread, but it’s a necessity. If you constantly give yourself permission to buy something over and over, you’re never going to be able to maintain, start, or stay within your budget.

• Respect the end goal of your budget. Budgeting can be even harder if you don’t know what you are budgeting for. List out what you need to pay for every month, and then also list out what your end goal for creating and setting a budget is. Do you want to take a vacation, pay off debt, or use a bit of your budgeting savings to travel the world? All of these reasons are good end goals to strive for when budgeting! It’s just as important to understand the end goal to help you process the need for a budget in your current moment.

If you like to spend, you aren’t alone. We are a nation of spenders, shoppers, and consumers. Instead of spending your money without a good reason, it’s important to understand the need to save and budget for your future. Allow yourself the flexibility to try different ways to budget and find ways that saving money works for you. Before long, you may find that your budget is something you respect and understand, and it’s not even an issue anymore!