Treating yourself is good — as long as you know the best ways to splurge. Splurging or buying things for yourself can potentially prevent overspending later. But if you don't know the right ways to splurge, you can end up spending a lot of money — money that you don't have. For that matter, here are seven healthy and cost-effective ways to splurge.
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1. Don’t Use a Credit Card
If you’re thinking about the best ways to splurge, remember the dangers of using a credit card. Credit cards are convenient and easy when shopping. But since you're not using cash, it's easy to go overboard. There's nothing wrong with shopping with a credit card, just make sure you're in a position to pay your balance in full every month.
2. Use Cash
Not only should you use cash, you should set a splurge budget every month. To help achieve this goal, reserve an envelope for splurging and deposit cash into this envelope — perhaps $20 a week or $100 a month — whatever you can afford. Only spend what's in the envelope and aim to stay within budget.
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3. Use Coupons
Splurging doesn't mean that you can't look for ways to save. In fact, using coupons or shopping sales and clearances is an excellent way to splurge and get the most for your money. Wouldn’t it be nice to splurge and purchase two or three items? When you spend wisely and look for deals, this can happen.
4. Splurge for Free - if Possible
I know people who’ve scored big by simply using credit card reward points. One friend accumulated enough points to purchase an iPad, and I've known others to cash in their reward points for airfare to exotic locations. My point is simple — you don't have to spend money to splurge. Take advantage of any rewards or cash-back points you earn from your credit card company.
5. Save up for Higher Priced Items
What if you want to splurge on something that exceeds your splurge budget? There's a simple solution for this. Rather than pull out your credit card and buy the item, let your splurge budget accumulate for several months until you have enough cash to get the item. It’s easier to charge a high-ticket item, but why deal with debt when you can save up and own the item outright?
6. Know Your Shopping Companions
If you’re looking to splurge without overspending, be careful about whom you shop with. The truth is, some people will encourage you to spend, and others will encourage you to save. Therefore, know the habits of your shopping companions and choose these people wisely.
7. Wait Two or Three Days before Spending Money
Even when you’re splurging and spoiling yourself, don't make a hasty decision. To make sure your splurge is worth the money, sleep on the purchase for one or two days. If you still feel strongly about buying the item after several days, then it's worth the splurge.
Splurging is an excellent way to reward yourself for a job well done. Besides, what's the point of having a job and working hard if you never get to enjoy any of your cash? The key is knowing when to splurge, and how to splurge. What are smart items to splurge on?
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