How hard is it to stop yourself from buying everything you see when you go Tampa shopping? So hard. It almost feels like we have to be physically dragged away from the racks of clothes and the rows of shoes. So unless you’re born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you, like many mortals before you, have to stop yourself from overspending and throw yourself in a pile of debt.

Do not bring your credit cards

Credit cards are evil. They make you think you have money when you don’t. They make you believe you can afford that expensive pair of boots when you can’t. The reason why credit cards exist is to make you use it when you cannot pay the product in full price.

Then, you’ll be paying the price anyway with interest. There is no winning situation here. You’re basically just going to put yourself in debt. The solution is to never carry your cards with you when you’re about to go shopping. That will keep the temptation at bay.

Bring only what you’ve set aside

What have you set aside as your shopping budget? A $100? That’s perfectly okay. If that’s what you can afford, then you should follow that limit. Bring only this money and a little bit more for transportation, parking fee, and food. But do not bring any amount more than that.

This little trick will stop you from spending your emergency funds or the money that should be deposited in your savings account. Interestingly enough, don’t go shopping during payday. It’ll make you think you have plenty of money when you have yet to pay the bills.

Stick to what you need

Why did you go to the mall? For a pair of shoes? For a bag? For a dress? Stick to the plan. If you’re there to purchase a new pair of boots then do only that. There’s no need for you to walk around the perfume section or ogle at the gadget store. You would only tempt and frustrate yourself and those are not good combinations.

Do not go window shopping

Stop yourself from window shopping. If you don’t have the money for it, then stop looking at it and planning how to get it. There’s no good reason to put yourself in debt for something you don’t need in your life. Wants are good and they are normal, but they also push you to spend more than you can afford.