The apps that derail my budget

We live in a world where there’s an app for everything—shopping, saving, eating, you name it. And while some apps can help us stay on track and help us, there are others that can easily lead us down a slippery slope of overspending and financial chaos. If you’re serious about sticking to your plan it’s important to know the apps that derail my budget and financial goals.

Online Shopping Apps Let’s start with the obvious one: online shopping apps. Whether it's Amazon, ASOS, or any of those tempting fashion apps, these apps make it way too easy to click “Buy Now” and forget about the consequences. They offer quick checkouts, and send you push notifications about sales. Before you know it, you’re spending money you didn’t plan to spend, all in the name of “just browsing.” I swear I used to fill up baskets just for fun, id sit on them for a week or so and then purchase all in one big go. Food Delivery Apps We all love a good take-away. But when you’re trying to save, these food delivery apps can be your wallet’s worst enemy. They make it too easy to order food, whether you’re feeling lazy or you’re just craving something new, or different to home cooked. With delivery fees, tips, and pricing, it’s easy for a simple meal to cost way more than you expected. In Dubai food can literally be delivered anytime, cheap prices, large discounts and a meal can cost just only a fiver. Meaning sometimes it really is easier than cooking. For me I've had to limit myself to only 1 food delivery app, and that's only because the same app is where I order my cabs! Subscription Services We all love our streaming services. Whether it's binge-watching the latest show on Netflix or Spotify, these apps feel like essentials to every day life. But here's the catch: Subscription services can slowly drain your funds and surprise us at the end of each month. You might forget about that obscure service you signed up for, or maybe you’re paying for more than one streaming app you don't actually need. Cashback and Rewards Apps Cashback apps can be a great way to save a little extra money when shopping, but they can also be incredibly dangerous when it comes to budgeting. These apps reward you for shopping, which might sound like a good deal until you realize they’re subtly encouraging you to make purchases you wouldn’t have otherwise all for a small amount back to you. Spending £30 to make back £1.50 just doesn't make any sense! Pay Later Apps “Buy now, pay later” seems like a blessing in disguise, but these apps are some of the sneakiest ways to break your saving streak. It’s easy to rack up multiple “Buy Now, Pay Later” purchases without realizing how much you owe until it’s time to pay up. Ending each month with surprise payments your forgot about! This is a deep whole I know only too well, thinking 4 payments is better than 1 and realizing in 3 months time I cant even remember what I bought. Final Thoughts

I really do get it, my phone has always been a temptation factory too. Shopping apps, subscriptions, all and anything. But I realized it leads to bad habits, so I deleted everything except the essentials. For now, instead of scrolling shopping apps and making large baskets I'm trying to implement healthier, non- technology related hobbies.

It’s not always easy, but fewer apps mean fewer chances to overspend. Staying focused.