With most of us spending the majority of our weeks at work, it’s no wonder that the ‘live for the weekend’ mentality is so common and sometimes we view it as a reward for getting through the week. We might see it in the form of a Friday night takeaway to mark the end of the working week, cramming our diaries with as much as possible, and consistently spending our money on blow out activities. 

This isn’t to say that we can never do any of these things, or that we can’t let our hair down over the weekend (or when we have time off, if you don’t work a standard Monday to Friday). Of course we can, even if we’re being more mindful with our money. But if we aren’t careful, our ‘live for the weekend’ mentality can start to hurt your financial progress. Here’s how.

We say “YES!” to everything before we’ve even considered if we can afford it

When our friends and family ask us whether we want to check out the new restaurant at the weekend, head to the gig last minute or go on a night out, it’s really easy to say ‘yes’ to everything, but often we’re doing so before we’ve even thought about whether we can afford it or if we truly want to go. This can be particularly true if the event is in a few weeks’ time because it doesn’t feel like a problem yet, or we think we’ll have time to find the funds in time. However, the likelihood is that something else crops up that we need to spend that money on instead. 

Here’s what to do instead:

Take some time to think about each invite that comes through and ask yourself:

• Is it something that I really want to do? (Hint: your reaction in the first few seconds of getting the invite or message is usually the most accurate of how you feel). 
• Is it something I can afford? Be realistic with yourself here; usually when we go ahead with something that we can’t really afford or it comes at the expense of another area of our finances, we end up using all our energy worrying about the cost rather than enjoying what we’re spending it on. 
• Look at simple ways you can cut some costs without jeopardising the event or activity, as well. This might be: wearing the same outfit as you’ve done previously, sharing transport costs with a friend or seeing what deals are available to you to save a bit of money.

There’s also no shame if you can’t afford it at the moment. You don’t have to delve into your finances any more than you’re comfortable with, a “thank you for thinking of me but I can’t this time” is sufficient enough. 

We do things out of routine

Reaching for the takeaway leaflets on a Friday evening is a ritual to many but it’s a prime example of something we do out of routine regardless of the food we already have at home, or if we even want the takeaway at all. For you this might also be getting your nails done one Saturday a month because that’s what you’ve always done, or going to the fancy bar in town every payday weekend because hello, our bank balances are making us feel rich. There’s no shame in spending or wanting to spend on these events, but I think it’s important to work out whether we’re buying into them because it’s something we truly enjoy or whether it’s a routine we’ve built for ourselves.

Here’s what to do instead:

Think about any events, activities or purchases you make on a routine basis that aren’t a necessity. Evaluate how much happiness you’re getting from them out of 10. If they’re giving you a 10/10 happiness level every time then by all means, carry on. If you love them but you’re looking to save a few pennies in an easy way, look at switching up the frequency so you’re saving a bit of money without cutting something out of your life entirely. 

We think we have to spend a lot of money to have a good time

Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking something needs to be expensive to be good, or we need to spend a lot of money on something to make it worthwhile. It means that we don’t consider cheaper activities, or we think we’re missing out if we don’t spend a lot of money.

Here’s what to do instead:

Consider swapping a couple of more expensive activities with some low cost ones every now and again. It could be going for breakfast instead of dinner with a friend, choosing to host your friends instead of going out, or having date night at home. It gives us a chance to try something new, visit new places, and save big bucks over time. 

We think it’s a waste of a weekend if it’s not full to the brim with activities

We can often think that unless a weekend involves scooting from one place to another with barely a moment in between then it’s a wasted one. This can be particularly true of parents who may feel guilt for not giving their children enough experiences. But the cost of these activities can really add up quickly.

Here’s what to do instead:

Recognise that rest and time at home isn’t a waste of time. For parents, it’s recognising that activities can happen in the home as well as outside of it. Look at affordable ways to spend quality time with someone; it could be starting a new TV series together, baking, playing with forgotten toys or setting time to catch up on each other’s weeks without looking at phones or being occupied by other jobs you need to do.

Being careful with our money or holding on tight to the purse strings doesn’t mean we can never have fun during our time off or during the weekends. But by asking ourselves a few questions before committing to an invite, making a few affordable swaps every now and again, or changing the frequency of some of the things we do, we can save money in a sustainable way without it feeling restrictive or as if we’re going without.