How to stop spending at the weekend

Sian Meades
Jul 4th 2009 at 11:00AM

Somehow, even if you've been frugal all week, as soon as the clock hits five thirty on a Friday, everything goes out of the window. Suddenly you're buying huge rounds of drinks, getting cabs everywhere and splashing cash in just about every shop you walk by. The weekend makes everyone relax, but with that, we relax our purse strings. How do you make sure you don't ruin all of your hard work?

Buy the first round. Once you've done that, you're pretty much set for the evening. Don't make the mistake of buying bottles of wine for everyone, and stick to singles not doubles. But don't be cheap either. Going to the toilet when it's your round just isn't on.
If you can't afford to go out, don't. Spend the weekend doing those things you're always meaning to do. Finish that book, watch all of your unwatched DVDs. Bake that cake you saw in that magazine. You don't have to go out all night just because it's the weekend.
If you are going out, stay at a friend's and share the cost of a cab. Nothing makes you feel worse the next day than realising you spend £30 on a taxi just because you stayed out for one more drink instead of catching the last train home. I did this on Thursday. Had buyers guilt all of yesterday.
If you're going to the pub, don't take your card with you (or, find one of those pubs that still won't take cards), then you can only spend the cash you have in your wallet. You've got a cut-off point. The only downside to this is if you're caught in an emergency situation, you haven't got any money, but if you're just popping down the local this isn't such a bad idea.
Don't get temped buy your friends! Sure, they want to go out for a swanky dinner, but you can always meet them afterwards (or, tell them that you've got plans and arrive late - just in time for dessert!) you don't have to spend the same amount of money as your friends to have a good time.

Your habits shouldn't change at the weekend. You should still be able to have fun. You just don't have to spend everything in your bank account just because you haven't got to go to work the next day. Unless of course it's a bank holiday, and then you should ignore the above advice and spend all Sunday in the pub.

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