Feeling guilty about spending money usually ends up happening after a significantly overdone shopping spree that managed to happen after ‘picking up some bits’ in the Trafford Centre on a Saturday morning, yet if you were aware about your weekly spend then you may end up thinking an occasional shopping trip is not the only thing you should feel guilty about. So, where does it go? We’re here to help you with some financial tips to help you figure it out! 

Assessing your subconscious guilty pleasure

Lifestyle spending, possibly the most dangerous money-spending method of them all. Why? Because you probably have no idea. Continuous miniscule spending is usually pushed in the subconscious part of your mind, as an occasional £3.40 there or £6.99 there isn’t enough to hurt the bank initially, so you ignore it. So let’s assess it, a normal working day monday. You wake up, brush your teeth, take a shower and you’re out. Free so far right? But this is where that subconscious mind turns into that child you have been forced to babysit for the weekend that’s costing you a lot more than you intended on.

You grab a coffee on the way to work, £4.59, you get the bus £2.00, bus breaks down, uber (to avoid the parking fee) £13.00, finally at work. Here comes lunch, out in London, £9.49. Back to work and then the bus home, £2.00. It’s now 6pm and lets say this is a day that you don’t go out after work, yes you had the short straw that the bus breaks down but it’s a common possibility that needs considering with public transport,  you have already spent £31.80 in a day, unintentionally may I add, which is heart-breaking £155.40 in a working day week. So now that subconscious mind has been exposed and snapped into reality, let’s eliminate that guilt that I’m sure you’re feeling much more intensely now. Embrace crafting and handmade goods to cut down your weekly spending, unleash your creativity, and gain unique treasures.

Minimising the guilt of reality 

Food and Drink 

Working in central London, and any big city for that matter, comes with temptation and expense with food and drink everywhere. To avoid this, let’s give yourself a little schedule. Putting it in perspective, a bite or drink here and there won’t cause too much damage. Therefore by disciplining yourself into a coffee from Starbucks on a Monday morning and a Friday morning rather than all weekday mornings, you have already saved £13.77, and that’s being lenient. Clarifying your salary expectations is crucial when adjusting your weekly spending, as it sets a realistic budget frame and helps focus your cost-cutting efforts. You could minimise your Starbucks or shop-bought coffee to once a week, whatever is best for you, but any method of cutting down will surprisingly cut down your weekly cost significantly. And on the days you don’t, a simple homemade coffee in a take out cup will do the job.

Similarly with food, a cheeky Mcdonalds or a sandwich from your favourite shop could become an occasional Friday treat. Then in the other days, a homemade butty will take away the hunger that is followed with the temptation. This may improve you in other ways other than saving money, such as healthier eating and making that occasional Mcdonalds a lot more enjoyable and worth it.

Travel 

Another issue with working in central cities is the transport. Public transport? Great, cheap. Public transport when having a strict work schedule? Possibly the most unreliable and time consuming method of transport. Uber? Great, easy and no worries about parking. Uber is probably the best method if you are a multimillionaire, as getting an uber to and from work in a central city would come up to around £90-£150 a week, which I wouldn’t consider as the best money saving method.

Now how about self-transport: bike, car, walking. Well, driving yourself into a busy town centre and then finding a place to park could be considered a nightmare, but surprisingly driving yourself to work overtime may be the most time efficient and cheap option. For example, parking in central London can be easy, cheap and safe by using known car parks that typically end up a lot cheaper than the uber option, and significantly quicker and more reliable than public transport. As well as using your car, another form of self-transport could be biking or walking. Prioritizing weekly spending cuts can safeguard your financial stability, even during Crypto market fluctuations.

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Now if you are close enough to walk then I doubt you are struggling with the cost of transport anyway, however taking the bike can be easy to park and relatively reliable. Let alone the fact it is completely free. Therefore, by assessing the way you spend your money on your transport efficiently, can make a significant impact on your weekly spend so if your transport is unreliable and happens to be costing you a lot more than desired, consider safe car parks and physical methods of transport. 

Now the self-assessment is over and the guilt is slowly decreasing from the knowledge of being able to redeem yourself. From choosing  city centre car parks to adding up the small things, you can notice a big difference to your life. By just taking into consideration these two factors or your daily life your savings can mean more shopping trips, with more enjoyment and less guilt. 

Author’s Bio:

Daisy Moss is a freelance writer who loves travelling around the country to try out new city centre car parks, explore new places and eat at great restaurants! When she’s not travelling, she loves spending time with family and friends.