Spending Triggers - Do You Know How To Spot Your Triggers and Not Give In?

No Credit Needed has been running a series on 33 Days and 33 Ways to Reduce Debt and Save Money. His most recent post challenges us to identify our spending triggers.

As NCN points out in the post:
"If you are aware of your ’spending triggers’ you can
A) avoid situations where you might be tempted to overspend.
B) discuss your financial goals with your friends and family, so that they will be “on your side” (helping and not hurting).
C) be absolutely committed to living on a budget."

Personally, my biggest spending trigger is the need to spend time with others which usually entails a meal or beverages. Its amazing how much money is spent if I don't keep a stringent eye on this category. Anyone following this blog will attest that I have made this a subject of my monthly goals and it is usually the one that falls short.

So, when you are kicking a habit whether its smoking, eating, drinking, biting your nails, shopping, etc. the first rule of thumb is to know your trigger so you can take steps to prevent it. As an ex-smoker, I knew that I had to change where I had lunch since I usually had a few cigarettes when I finished eating. Instead, I brought lunch to work, saved money by packing my lunch and not smoking. In my efforts to kick my spending habit on meals, I am working on stocking my kitchen with appealing meals and making lunches ahead of time so I don't have to think about it in the morning before work.