I wrote this several years ago, but it still holds true. It was a good reminder for me! I just added a few more things as well before posting today. I hope this helps some of you!
2) Keep your clothes washed. As a mom, I know we usually put everyone else first. One way that plays out in my house is that my clothes are always the last to get washed. Which means I don't really get to wear my favorite clothes that often because they are always at the bottom of the hamper.
I hang a lot of my own clothes so they wont shrink and will look nice as long as possible. So for me, keeping my clothes clean means running a small load of my laundry a few nights a week and hanging it up in the shower so it can be dry and ready to get out of everyone's way in the morning. If I try to wash a big load of my clothes, that always ends with either wet clothes hanging off of everything in the house, or me hanging it up in batches which results in half getting stinky waiting in the laundry basket to get hung up. My point is figure out what works for you, but do find a way to keep most of your clothes clean at all times. What does this have to do with not spending extra money? I've found that if I'm wearing my "it's laundry day" clothes too often it makes me feel like I don't have any clothes I like so I want to go buy clothes I actually like. Even though in reality, I have plenty of clothes I like. They are just always dirty! So try to keep your clothes washed.
3) Take time to make your bed nicely, put your table decorations out, etc. The more you enjoy how your home looks, the more you will feel like you have plenty. It will help you resist buying home decor when you are out buying groceries at Target! Or wherever your weakness is!
4) Clean your house extra well! The cleaner my house is, the more, I enjoy it, which goes back to tip 3! I read somewhere several years ago to figure out your "must clean" item. That's the part of your house that makes everything else feel dirty to you, if it's dirty, even if everything else is clean. For me, it's our downstairs hard floors. They get covered in dog hair so fast and the light in the windows shines in just right where it shows every speck. So I try to make sure my floors are vacuumed if I can only get to one thing.
5) Organize your belongings! That will make your house look nice which ties in with tips 3 & 4, but it's more then just that. Organizing will help you see what you have. So lets say you realize you have 10 list notepads, that will help you talk yourself out of the purchase next time you see another cute one...even if it's ONLY a dollar! Realizing how many note cards, list pads, art supplies, etc. I own has really helped me resist the urge to buy more.
6) Purposely spend time playing board games, watching movies, or doing whatever things you already own with your family. Those things are free! Also look for free things to do as a family around your town. The fuller your life feels, the less likely you'll feel the need to go buy things you don't need.
7) Invest time into your hobby (if it's inexpensive to do). The more time you spend doing things that make you happy, the more full your life will feel which works the same way as tip 6.
8) Spend time with your family, friends, and pets! Text, call, write letters, do video calls, or go visit in person. I find the more my cup is full, the less I feel like I want more things.
9) Go on a walk or get out in nature some where. Breathing in fresh air and getting sunshine in my system always makes me feel more energized. The better I feel mentally, the less likely I am to try to buy something to spark happiness.
10) Surround yourself with pictures of happy memories! We have always been bad about hanging up pictures and I have noticed a big difference in my mood when we have. Seeing smiling faces and remembering fun times is sure to cheer anyone up. And as we've already discussed, being happy helps you resist purchasing things you don't really need.
Have a wonderful day!
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