Do you set a limit when it comes to how much you buy online? Or do you just go with it and buy what you want when you feel like it? I don't really buy much, so I'm usually in the latter category. Back when I used to spend a lot however, I made it a point to not buy more than $150 worth of items online. Of course, that didn't include buying things for family and friends.
As I have already stated, I don;t tend to buy much online these days. I have always been burned by them,so I tend to be really cautious about what I buy online. Most of the things I buy online are books that don;t cost me much anyway. So there is no need to keep an eye on how much I sped on it.
I don't differentiate anything in my budget to specify "online" shopping. I have a budget. If something I need is cheapest online, I'll buy it online. If it is cheaper in the store, I'll buy it in the store. To me, if you need a budget to help you with online spending, you might be one of those people who tends to impulse buy. A life budget would be helpful for saving anywhere, not just online. I don't tend to have a problem with overspending at all though, so tracking my online spending has never been necessary. And now, with free shipping on Amazon Prime, I'm actually finding that I'm saving even more on things I used to make special trips to certain stores for.
There is never a real budget when I make a purchase online. I usually just go for the cheapest that has the best reviews possible. Placing a budget pretty much just says that I will spend up to this amount and not more. I would rather spend less than that amount and receive a much better product.
I've tried to take it easy with online purchases. I can't buy anymore clothes because I need to lose weight so I can fit things I just bought. I don't need any more shoes or books because I'm trying to get a car.
Oh yes, I definitely have a budget. When you're like me (especially when shopping for clothes), you have to set a limit for yourself. My father may have taught me frugality, but in all honesty, even he has a problem with that when it comes to all his little gadgets and things. I normally try to stick beneath $100, because I know that if I don't set some limits, I'll easily spend $700 on foreign items that I'll cherish for a year and won't ever use again. I like shopping online overseas due to the fact that it tends to be a lot cheaper (another reason why I don't shop at European stores) and if you shop at the right places, they're very nice quality. Shopping at smaller shops also tends to return good quality, as well.
We do need a budget for everything anyway, otherwise if we don't, then we end up spending money that is reserved for something else. I do have an online shopping budget, and if I must exceed that budget to be able to buy what I want then I will just save up for it and buy it at another time.
My husband and I are getting back on our feet right now, so my budget is slightly below 0$ lol. when we are back on our feet, though, I'm not going to have a budget, per se. When there's something we need I'll have a max amount I can spend on it.
I try but it hardly works out. There's always great deals so i look for value rather than a number. Easier said than done lol.
I know what you mean. I'll spend hours looking for a cheaper option. I will go to e-bay, amazon, Listia, and anywhere else I can think of before I'll finally settle on the cheapest one I can find.
I spend hours looking for the cheapest option and then I only buy it if I can afford it and it's in my budget. I don't have a lot of money generally so whatever I do have has to be spent wisely. That being taken into account, yes, every penny ends up being budgeted. I don't have a general budget for all times I shop. Instead, I budget individually for each thing I'm buying and don't go over unless I really have to, or it's too good a deal to pass up.
Budgets are great, especially when you don't know what will happen. Having a budget when you're shopping online is a great and managable way to still be able to afford other things. No matter what you can always find the same thing but just a tad cheaper.
I buy online sporadically. It tends to happen when something I need/want isn’t available here, which isn’t very often. So at the moment it’s probably just a small portion of my overall budget. And that currently allows me maybe one slightly pricey online purchase, or two smaller ones, so that’s how I work it in.
Shopping online should be no different from shopping in brick and mortar stores. Unless one has a budget which they intend to stick to then odds are if they were shopping online so they could save money, they'd end up spending more which is counterproductive? That's when making a budget one should also take into account any online purchases they intend to make. That's what I always do.
I have the same approach as claireisbeautiful. If something is cheaper online, I will buy it. You might want to set a budget if you know that you have a tendency to buy more than you need, but I have personally never encountered that problem. I only buy things that I know that I need, and I have no problems with controlling my expenses.
I certainly do have a budget but having one and sticking to it are two different things. That's why in every self-imposed budget, I make sure to set estimates instead of a definite amount. For instance, when I buy clothes I try to spend a minimum of, say, $10 and a maximum of $20. My budget totally depends on existing personal finances. If I go overboard and fail to follow the range I set, I make up for it by saving a bigger amount the next time I receive my salary or online earnings.
