Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange
Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [spending]

40 questions
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How to spend more? (AKA, how to avoid being a miser)

I was blessed growing up to have a father that greatly impressed upon me the need to save. I am very thankful for his influence, it has allowed me to make smart decisions with my money and I am currently living completely debt free -- except for a…
Eddie
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How to prevent myself from buying things I don't want

We all buy stuff from time to time that only satisfies us for a short time. I was able to locate a few expenses that fall under that category. Unfortunately, there are a few products I've wanted to buy for a long time. Since I have a discount code…
Swizzler
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Is keeping track of your money and having a budget the same thing?

I check my bank account every single day, just out of habit in case there's fraudulent activity. As a result, I always know generally how much I have in my accounts (i.e. if I have $140.25, I'll make a mental note that I have $120 just so I don't…
Michael
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I'm only spending roughly half of what I earn; should I spend more?

around 6 months ago I started this job. Around 3 months ago while reading this very website I downloaded a budgeting software and started writing down everything I earned and spent, and I noticed I'm spending roughly only half of what I earn. This…
anon
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What are some creative ways to run up my credit card bill without any cost to me?

I got a new credit card with a very large signup bonus - as long as a minimum amount is spent on the card in the first 3 months. I usually don't go for things like this but in this case the bonus is so large that it's worth the hassle. The amount…
Jer
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What can Amex do if I cancel their card after using the sign up bonus miles?

I recently applied for the Amex Gold Delta Skymiles card, with the intention of getting the sign up bonus (60,000 miles after $2k spend in first 3 months) and canceling the card before the first annual fee kicks in (as it is waived for the first…
Runeaway3
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How are people able to spend more than what they make, without going into debt?

Jeff Bezos reportedly surpassed Bill Gates as the wealthiest person in the world, at least, for a while. But in 2016, it was reported that he had a salary of around $80,000, but obviously his wealth comes from his stock holdings in Amazon. He is…
Michael
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How can I enforce saving when I have a very limited income?

I have a very limited income (unfortunately) and have found I am practically incapable of saving. What are the best methods to enforce saving, however still have access to the money if required? Here is a little background on the question: $750.00…
DankyNanky
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Where can I find an example of a really basic family budget?

It's about time that I took my family's finances seriously and built a budget. I'd rather not start from scratch, and am thinking, "surely, I can benefit from someone else's work?" - can someone please point me in the right direction? Need an…
Nat_Rea
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Why do people buy new cars they can not afford?

This question in particular refers to the U.S. It has always baffled me and I am looking for diverse viewpoints to help understand the issue. Every day as I drive to work I see lots of new cars. US automakers regularly report bumper sales. Even…
A.S
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How can I avoid going deep into debt during the holiday season?

The holiday season is just around the corner. The shopping malls are especially eager – Christmas trees, lights, and decorations have been up for weeks, all to get us in the mood to spend, spend, spend. :-) With this special time of year comes a…
Chris W. Rea
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What’s the difference between inflation and inflation tax?

I get that people seem to be using the term inflation tax as a metaphor for understanding inflation, but it seems to be a bit more than that. We all know that inflation reduces the buying power of our dollar, but I don’t see how “tax” is a useful…
Cybernetic
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What is the optimal number of months to base my "average spending" on?

My goal is to determine how much money I spend on groceries per month, "on average". I have a list of all my food shopping orders (timestamp + amount in USD). Currently, I do the sum() of all orders made within the last three months (that is, with…
O. Popple
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How much of my spendable income should I set aside for travel and tourism?

Some indications about my income and expenditure patterns may be in order. I save more than 50% of my salary and I earn about 5 times the minimum wage in my country. I am in my early forties. I am not married and I don't intend to. My parents are…
Whirl Mind
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How can I spend less?

I was raised in a lower class family, and we never really had money for anything we wanted. Now, years later, I have a job and I feel like I can't stop spending. I see myself buying useless things and eating out a lot because I never had a chance to…
Corey
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