Each of us tends to be very conscious of our vices. We know the things that we do that can let us and the people around us down and even if we happen to be oblivious sometimes, we are fortunate enough to have individuals willing to knock some sense into us. Being able to point out things about ourselves that may be counterproductive towards cultivating a healthy spending lifestyle may seem impossible but here are a few ways you can go about it;

i.) When you venture into a mall and see that ‘On Sale at Discounted prices’ board set up right in the middle of the entire space, almost like a devious devil trying to pull you in, you can’t help but rationalize that it’s a discounted price from the original and thus not such a bad deal but essentially, buying that product at 75% off when you hadn’t intended to purchase it in the first place is grounds for a massive blow on your funds for you will lack for the things you actually need. A sale is not always a steal. Be prepared before impulsively spending on something that looks Extra appealing. I mean, after all, Not all that glitters is gold.

ii.) I am always personally side tracked whenever I log into Jumia and see those incredible deals. With this new day and age of technology, venturing into shops to purchase products is slowly becoming an obsolete method of buying goods and thus that guilt and little voice in your head that makes you put back that extra product you wanted to buy isn’t as predominant when all this amazing deals and advertisements are literally screaming at you to acquire them. Thus, the best way to avoid this particular vice is to simply limit the online buying altogether. Its fun and easy but, and take it from someone with personal experience, impulse buying happens to be the greatest way to drain your funds. Just, don’t do it.

iii.) We tend to be forgetful as human beings and we find ourselves purchasing things we either don’t need or a duplicate product which we usually rationalize can come in handy down the line and sometimes it does, no doubt, but it takes away from the product you were originally and essentially going to purchase. It’s a sticky situation and having two of something is not logically sound in the grand scheme of things.

iv.) Purchasing of data bundles and the like is essential in our technologically adept world for we want to keep I contact with our friends and family, with videos on Instagram, Tik tok and other social media sites but sometimes, the data usage can lead to overspending. Which is exactly why one needs to find better alternative methods like, for example, consider installing Wi-Fi. It will reduce the cost of purchasing bundles every day as that money can be used to pay for said Wi-Fi. Its not for everyone but it is something to mull over.

v.) Food is a basic need for all humans and we especially love to discover new restaurants and eat out at that fast food joint with friends and family but it becomes strenuous on our pockets whenever we do it consistently over a long period of time. Thus, my opinion is, just cook at home. Purchase the ingredients at a way cheaper price and experiment on new meals whenever you can. Keep things spicy!(both literally and figuratively) For those who don’t know how, it can be an interesting hobby to take up!