Developing a weekly budget is very much like a monthly budget but spending is detailed weekly rather than for the entire month. It is best to start your weekly budget at the beginning of the month. Write down the amount of money that your household will be receiving that week, then the bills that need to be paid that week, along with the amount of each bill. If you need to save a portion of money to pay a bill or other expense at a later time, write down the amount that needs to be saved and for what purpose. Next, take a look at other essential expenses such as food, cost of gas for vehicles, etc. Write down all these expenses for the week and then add this amount to the amount of bills for the week. Then subtract that amount from the amount of money coming in for the week. This will give you the amount of money that is left to spend on entertainment and other non-essentials for the week.

Sticking to budget takes self discipline. Avoid impulsive spending. Impulsive spending is making unplanned purchases that are unnecessary. Impulsive buyers often lack self control in buying situations, which may result in overspending, additional debt, and eventually lead to family arguments and more worries. Discipline is the key to controlling impulse buying. One way to practice discipline and avoid buying on impulse is to wait seven days before making the purchase, and during this time find two additional prices for the same item and talk with your spouse about the purchase. Most impulse purchases can be eliminated by this type of discipline.

When you are budgeting whether it be monthly or weekly, you basically are regulating your spending habits. Stick to a cash only budget. When you stick to a cash only budget it means once you run out of money, that is it, your out of money. Stop using credit cards. Don't rely on credit cards to pick up the slack. If you are serious about sticking to a budget and regulating your spending habits, cash only is the way to go. If you feel you can not live without using credit cards, you are wrong. Try destroying credit cards, put them away out of sight, or give them to someone for safekeeping. Do not use them for thirty days and you will find it is possible to live without them. Many times using credit cards to purchase an item or items is impulsive buying or even worse compulsive buying.

A person that is a compulsive buyer is often times suffering from an addiction much like a drug or alcohol addiction. They do not feel confident in themselves and tend to have very low self esteem. They use buying as a way to feel good about themselves. When a compulsive buyer is making purchases they feel high. This high is very much like the high felt by a drug addict.
Signs of compulsive spending:
1. Feeling lost without credit cards.
2. Lying to others, especially spouse, about spending.
3. Buying items on credit that would not be bought with cash.
You may need to seek professional help if you or someone you know is a compulsive buyer.