How can I save up my money, I think I have a shopping problem!!?

Well I want to save up for an iPhone which will cost me €318. A few problems: 1. I am quite broke. 2. I get quite a lot of pocket money each month but i have to buy everything I need with it. 3. What with school and well, the law I actually can't get a job. 4. I go out with my friends every Saturday and Sunday shopping or to see a movie or whatever and I always kind of see something I need, and well I have expensive taste! 5. I babysit but money kind of burns a hole in my pocket if you know what I mean so its usually gone the next day. I need advice because I need to save up €318 pronto!! My friends aren't broke because they are all minted! And as for debts I'm 15 so..

Public Comments

1. what you can do is lend it to your friends or family that you can trust. i do that with my family and money always come back to me and i'm not the one spending it! if not, why don't you just sit at home on saturdays or sundays? and why aren't your friends broke? tell them to sustain you from being a shopaholic!!
2. First, you don't NEED an iPhone, you WANT one. Second, if you're at all serious about improving your finances, you have to stop the bleeding first. Stop spending money on things you don't need - especially anything that has a monthly payment involved with it. But if you're young, and not otherwise in debt, you can go ahead and spend your money so long as you realize it's not going to help you out in the long run.
3. Oh hun! If I were you put yourself on a little budget! That's what I did when I was your age. I was saving for a boombox. I know you REALLY WANT AN iPHONE. But, if you stopped and wrote out what you were spending. Then cut that back and maybe added a few extra babysitting jobs you could have that 18 in no time!! No worries. It will turn out. There are soooo many things us girls have to have:) Good Luck Girl!!
4. What I always find helpful is to do this tip. Whenever you get a certain amount of money, such as your pocket money, save some of it in a jar. Take a picture of the iPhone and tape it on to the jar. Spend the rest of the money that's left as you'd like. Whenever you get pocket money, put some in the jar. The more money that you put it each time, the closer you get to your iPhone!!!
5. Take a set sum from your pocket money each month and put it in the bank, immediately. I'd suggest 15% of your pocket money as workable. Don't allow yourself to take out anything you deposit. What you don't have in your pocket, you can't spend. Also learn the difference between Wants and Needs. You need advice, you want an iPhone. If you want it, you need to take action. Create a budget, create a savings plan, take a few extra babysitting jobs. If you really want it, you're willing to save, to defer some spending, to set aside some of your wants.
6. Okay, first of all, you're a teenager. Probably means you spend most of your money as cash, right? This actually makes it pretty easy to save money. If you have an ATM card, go to the ATM, withdraw what you need, and consider transferring the rest on a weekly basis into another account that doesn't have ATM access. If you are just paid in cash, then leave your money at home. If you know you're going out shopping or to see a movie, and you have €30, leave €10 at home in a save place. That way, if you see something you want to buy that will break your budget, you can't actually buy it, because the money is at home. Work out how much you earn a week. Then leave 10% of that at home at least! For instance, if you earn €15 one week, leave €1.5 at home. Do this every week, and eventually you'll reach your goals. With your baby sitting money, if you leave it at home, you can't spend it. You don't have a shopping problem. You have a self discipline problem. You wouldn't go out shopping naked, would you? You take the time to put on clothes. Controlling your spending is similar. You learned to get dressed before going outside, so you can learn to not spend your money. There are plenty of tricks, the 10% savings trick and the 'leaving it at home' trick, which can help you get on top of your savings, but if you don't really want to save your money, you will spend it all. So just focus on saving that money, and think before you buy useless crap. If it's really hard to control yourself, stay away from the places you can shop. Is there anywhere else you can go for recreation with your friends? Perhaps you could go for a walk somewhere, or start doing volunteer work for a community organisation. Then you would be socialising, doing something for your community, and not spending your money on useless crap. Contact the local pound perhaps, or an environmental group. There are plenty of community groups who need volunteers. You could even volunteer to help out at a charity op shop. When you do actually become eligible to get a job, this experience will help you immensely. Remember, though, that more money isn't going to fix your situation. Only learning to control your spending will. Make it a rule to save at least 10% of what you earn, even after you've bought the IPhone. That way, when something comes along that you really want, or you desperately need some money for something in an emergency, you will have the money. Best wishes