Sneaky Budget Tip #7

Don't Go Shopping

Before you say "Well, duh...", bear with me.  My daily routine on the web includes checking some sale sites like Woot.com.  Occasionally, I will see things that match up with my household wishlist; sometimes I see things that I know a friend has been looking for a deal on for a while.  And in those cases, maybe, just maybe, it was worth me taking a look.  But more often, what I find is that whatever is on sale suddenly looks appealing to me.

Sure my drawer is full of socks, but that 12 pair pack seems so cheap!!

The sneak budgeteer knows that the best way to avoid a severe case of the Wants is to simple skip the step where you see the deals.  A more responsible approach to spending may be to collect, over time, a list of things that your family really needs and then do a bit of targeted shopping for a deal.