Tips For Doing A Spending Ban

During July I vowed to do a spending ban and not by any beauty products. I did pretty well and only bought a few bits to the end of the month. I've done spending bans before and have come up with a few tips that help to fight the urges of going wild in Boots.

AVOID THE SHOPS
A somewhat obvious one but if you're really struggling not to spend it's best not to go shopping. Instead come up with trips out that don't take place in a shopping centre.
SHOP THE STASH
If you're missing shopping so much why not shop the stash. This is something I did last month (post here if you fancy a read) and it's amazing how many products I used to love and had totally forgotten about. Focus on using different products each day and by the end of the month you may realise that you've bought nothing new but had lots to try.
MAKE NOTE OF THINGS THAT TEMPT YOU
Now if you're really struggling I would recommend going out and looking for interesting product. Instead note down the things that nearly made you break your spending ban. These can be new releases everyone is raving about or things that you've been wanting to try for a while. Note down the item and price and by the end of the month look at this list, see which ones still take your fancy and the ones that you'd forgotten about. You can treat yourself to 1 or 2 of the items and also see how much you've saved.
DON'T BE TOO STRICT
So my last tip is don't be too strict on yourself. If you're too strict you will want to spend even more than normal. Instead if you're really want something spend a few days thinking about it and then decide whether to purchase it. Also focus on what you've already got. To help this maybe block those emails from brands with discount codes to stop them tempting you.

So those are my tips for doing a spending ban. Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful of you're trying to save a few pounds. I like doing this every few months to make sure I use the products I already have. What are your tips for doing a spending ban?