Saving money tips -Impulse Buying

In this process of God blessing the work of my hands, He has allowed many things to surface that I need to change. The one I will cover today, is something that costs us a lot during the year! Just in one week, I added what up what was NOT on my lists and it totaled almost $80! That multiplied by 4 is $360! Now I realize it may not always be that much, but I was shocked! That was a great lesson for me!  Welcome to my life as an impluse buyer! I can go to the store for 3 things and come home with 30! Here are some things I use to help me stick to my list:

• PRAY before you go! I cannot emphasize this enough!
• USE a list!
• use coupons (I usually will not buy an item if I don't have a coupon for it!)
• bring cash ONLY!
• Do not go to the grocery store when you are hungry!
• go when you don' t have lots of time BUT enough time NOT to get grumpy!
• be accountable to somebody, tell them where you are going and how much you are spending (I choose my husband!)
• Leave your kids at home! (I actually am not serious about this one, HOWEVER kids do ask for things so I make my point to tell them WHAT we are going for and they may not ask for ANYTHING because I can't get it anyway!)
• Take your little kids WITH you! (It will make you want to get out of the store QUICK! ) Kind-of kidding about this one too! My little ones actually help me put things in the cart and I use it for school for math and problem solving!)

Hopefully you don't have any trouble with impulse buying like I do! If you do, hope these things will help you to spend less!  I also strongly recommend that you do what I did for one week and keep track of the things you buy that you don't need or did not plan on.  It will surprise you! 

I am still a work in progress and am not perfect at this yet, but these things have helped me!  It has also brought much blessing to our finances and in return, brings blessing to my husband!  God continues to bless the work of my hands by making lists and sticking to it!

Any ideas you have for sticking to your lists would be great!