Can't stick to a budget? Try these tweaks instead | Your Money and Your Mind

Transcriber: Let's cut right to the chase: for most people, budgeting just doesn't work. [Your Money and Your Mind with Wendy De La Rosa] You maybe follow your budget for a few days or a few weeks, but soon, you forget about your budget and stop tracking the flow of your money. And there goes your budget. And that's because of reality is, most of your budget is fixed. You can't really do anything about it without making major life decisions. Your rent is your rent. Your phone bill is your phone bill. Your car payment is your car payment. But the focus of today is the fact that many people struggle with the little, ongoing, frequent purchases like eating out, delivery services or shopping. So let's tackle each one of those individually. First, let's talk about eating out. In my research along with some colleagues, I found that eating out is one of the biggest financial regrets that people have. The only other expense that's even less satisfying than eating out are bank fees! For eating out, instead of making a financial budget, where you tell yourself you're only going to spend 100 dollars a month on eating out, let's focus on what I call a "frequency budget" instead. So instead of focusing on the amount of money that's much harder to track and sometimes even impossible to track, let's focus on limiting the number of times that you go out to eat. You'll have a much easier time saying no and tracking your budget. Now, I understand that we are all social humans, and eating out is such a social activity. And if that's what you're craving, I have some tips to make sure you can hit two birds with one stone. Instead of eating out, go and have a picnic with friends, sign up for a workout class or do any of the hundred social activities that you can do without having to spend 50 to 70 dollars a night. If you plan it right, you can still satisfy your social craving and still save your wallet a lot of money. Now let's talk about delivery services. A recent investigation found that those who order through a delivery app end up spending anywhere from 7 percent to 91 percent more than those who dined in, thanks to the pile of miscellaneous charges and fees. In fact, the same item can be more expensive on the app than in the restaurant. Right now, you may be ordering out more frequently. One analysis found that with the addition of delivery apps, fast food is no longer something associated with a quick bite on the go. Given the added baggage that comes with these delivery apps, my top tip here is to delete the apps from your phone. Now, if deleting it is too permanent or too extreme, you can still change your environment by making as many speed bumps as you can, to slow down the pace of purchases. Maybe link the app to a debit card with a small preset amount of money. You can also delete the app after every purchase, so that it's not enticing you at all hours. Now let's talk about shopping. Let me be clear: I'm not saying that you should never go shopping. What I am saying is that I encourage you to buy the things that bring you happiness. Research has shown that when you spend money on others, when you spend money on experiences and when you spend money on the things that save you time, these expenses make you happier. And I know retail therapy may seem great, but researchers have found that spending the same amount of money on someone else, even as little as 5 dollars can make you happier. So get that T-shirt for your friend instead of yourself. Make a donation to a place that you really love and support or buy an experience for yourself. Try something for the first time. And if you're overwhelmed, and you're burning the candle at both ends, know that it's OK to invest in something that will free up your time. Hire a local high schooler to mow your lawn or get someone to clean your house. These may be a little pricey, but the time you save will be worth every penny. By making these small changes to your discretionary spending, you can not only spend less but actually get more happiness and satisfaction from your spending. It can mean a life with fewer guilty pleasures and less regret. Now who wouldn't want that?