With all of the volatility of the economy in recent months, there’s no time better than today to start getting control over your finances through making positive changes with your spending habits. For many people, changing their spending habits means breaking bad habits that they’ve been feeding into for years and years. But with the right plan, anyone can begin spending less and saving more as a way to get themselves onto solid financial footing and avoid future issues with bankruptcy.

To show you how this can be done, here are three tips for changing your spending habits.

Start Using Cash

One of the easiest ways people lose control over their finances, according to Guilherme Ribeiro, a contributor to LifeHack.org, is that they begin spending money that isn’t theirs or that they don’t have readily available to them in their own accounts. Usually accomplished by using credit, spending money that you don’t have is a quick way to get in way over your head with your spending.

To combat this bad habit, one option you can try is to start using cash for as many purchases as possible. Not only is it generally harder for people to part with their cash because they can physically see themselves losing money, but once your cash is gone, there’s no possible way for you to spend more money than you have. This can help you learn how to better budget your money and only spend money on things you actually need. 

Always Shop From A List

For many people, it’s only when they’re out shopping that their bad spending habits come to a head. But because you have to buy things in your life, you’ve got to come up with some plan for how to keep things under control when you’re out shopping.

To help you with this, Erin Huffstetler, a contributor to The Balance, advises that you always shop from a list. If you commit to only getting the items that you put on your list before you go to the store, you’ll have a much easier time not getting anything that you don’t need or hadn’t planned. 

Don’t Take It To The Other Extreme

When breaking a bad habit, doing it “cold turkey” isn’t always the best option. Especially when it comes to your spending habits, trying to get too strict could actually cause you to take a few steps backward on occasion.

To avoid this, Geoff Williams, a contributor to U.S. News and World Report, recommends that you find ways to reward yourself once you’ve reached certain spending goals. By allowing yourself to spend a smaller amount of money on yourself, you’ll still be reaching your goals without having to feel like you’re not able to live a happy life anymore.

If you have some bad spending habits that you’re wanting to break, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do this.