The Ultimate Shopping Contract – How to stop yourself from spending unnecessarily

---

Date: ____________

The Ultimate Shopping Contract

I, ____(insert name here)____, promise that I will not buy anything without thinking twice. I will ask myself if the product I’m holding in my hand is something that is a “want” or a need”. If it is a “want”, then I will promptly put the product back on its shelf. If it is a “need”, I will ask if there are alternatives. Then, I will choose the one that brings the most value in terms of price and quality.

I promise never to be a slave to advertisements and clever branding. I can and will look good even without the newest eye shadow colour on the block, or a premium gym membership. I can and will be happy even if I do not follow the latest fashion trend.

I will never exceed my budget every day/month, unless I have no choice. If I do not have a budget, I promise to make one. At the end of every day/month, I will review/record my expenses everyday and see if I have crossed my budget. If I did, I will correct my expenses in the future days to make sure that they are kept in check.

I will not succumb to frivolous spending, because I understand the concept of delayed gratification. Every dollar that I am saving right now will lead me one step closer to my goals of financial freedom.

Once in a blue moon, I will reward myself for saving money so well for such a long time. I will cater some “fun” money every year to enrich my life. I will spend that money to build myself up emotionally and spiritually so that I can remind myself that life isn’t always about saving money.

I will find two witnesses (or at least one!) to justify my oath to the above clauses of this contract. If possible, I will find someone close to me (e.g. BFF/BF/Mum). They will be supportive of my actions, and always be close enough to constantly nag at me whenever I am going to spending money unnecessarily.

________________                                 _______________

Witness 1 (Signature)                                             Witness 2 (Signature)

---

I’ve drafted the above contract for anyone who is having problems saving money. These are general rules that I have assigned to myself towards how I spend my money and serves as a good way for sticking to my budget.

If you noticed, I have also added a part for “fun” money. Every year, I set aside some money for travelling. I love experiencing the culture from other countries. I also shop mainly overseas if I need to because it’s harder to find good bargains for apparels/shoes/make-up in Singapore.

If you’re looking for a solution to minimize your spending, I encourage you to print out the above contract and integrate it into your daily routine. Try it out yourself for even just one month, and I promise that it would improve your financial health tremendously. 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Miss Niao xoxo