Sometimes it is difficult to keep our money together, because there are too many temptations waiting for us, we don't even need to leave the house and dive into the jungle of shopping centres, supermarkets and boutiques. The offers come to us all by themselves, via television, the internet, telephone, brochures, or in the traditional way, sales representatives ringing our doorbell.


So how do you still manage to resist the temptations and be in the black at the end of the month, or at least not have caused more losses?

The answer is not in one sentence, but one sentence is the golden rule that stands above all things: never spend money that you have not yet earned!

This means that we should make friends again with an old, almost forgotten tradition: saving for things we would like to have.

If I have the €1,687 for the great flat-screen TV in my account and no foreseeable expenses that could minimise this sum, I can go to the shop and afford it!

If I don't have the money, this either means that I have to get a loan to pay it off, which then has to be paid off every month, or that I borrow the money elsewhere, which has the same effect.

Clever business people are making it easier than ever before to offer alternative financing methods; creditworthiness is hardly checked, it is enough if you can prove an income.

Everyone knows that this approach can lead to a debt trap. However, most people only realise that they can find themselves in the debt trap sooner than they would like when it is too late.

It is true that some people would not be able to afford a purchase under any circumstances if they could not get a loan for it, because otherwise they would have to save for far too long to have the money ready for it at some point.

However, if your aim is to save money, you should still primarily refrain from spending money that you do not yet have. This is precisely the case with finance purchase agreements. You commit to paying a certain amount every month for a certain period of time.

But what happens if you have to pay an unforeseen bill in a month's time, for example because your washing machine has broken and you need a new one?

You won't be able to pay for both and may take out a new loan because you urgently need the washing machine.

This leaves you with even less money to live on each month and you may start to worry. Life with the new TV and washing machine could be so nice, but it's only nice up to the point where paying them off isn't difficult.

So back to the tip mentioned at the beginning. If you had saved money for the TV and the washing machine breaks down, the washing machine would have been affordable, but the TV would have been a little further away. However, your old TV still works perfectly, it's just smaller than you would have liked.  

Is this a very big problem? Why don't you be honest and answer "no"?

So ask yourself: "Which situation could become a problem for me? The answer should be clear!

What we are getting at here is that we are all far too dependent on our desires and cravings today. We risk going into debt to buy things that we don't necessarily need immediately or necessarily.

In order to save money, we must first learn to curb this desire and not give in immediately when the temptation takes us by surprise. This is exactly what the sales professionals are aiming for.

All those who say they have to save actually mean that they should not spend so much money, because they usually spend more than they would actually have available each month, as they leave amounts open that go beyond this.

Consumption has become an addiction for many, they can no longer and no longer want to resist.

You can only get out of an addiction when you realise that you are addicted. Then you have to find ways and means to do so. You can only find the willpower to do this within yourself, no matter how admonishing, humiliating, sobering or mean it may sound, there is no other way.

Try to take small steps and save small amounts at first, which you can then use for purchases after a certain period of time. Over time, you will realise that the purchases will no longer trigger feelings of guilt and you will be able to enjoy the things you have bought much more than before.

Another positive side effect will be that you will no longer feel under pressure and the package of worries will be smaller, which in turn means a generally better quality of life.