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After the cost of the holidays, you may need a financial break. The beginning of the year is a great time to set a goal not to spend money on unnecessary items over the next few months. While it’s an excellent plan, sometimes, sticking to the plan is much easier said than done.

The trick to not spending money is to change your spending habits. Here are a few ways to change your mindset today to stay on track with your financial goals.

Clean out your closet

You may be wondering how cleaning out your closet can help curve your spending habits. It’s easy to collect clothes over time and forget what you own. That’s how you end up owning several black shirts that closely resemble each other, with only a few having been worn. Going through your closet periodically gives you a chance to take stock of your inventory, so you don’t purchase something you already have, and it’s an opportunity to reacquaint yourself with clothes that may be trending.

Be sure to donate or sell the items you no longer wear. Paring down your closet makes it easier to match up the perfect pieces for your outfit.

Check with your friends before you buy

People go through phases of buying and trying new things. Think of when juicing became popular. Juicers flew off of the shelves, but how many people continued juicing? Not too many, most likely. If you want to try something new, check with your friends first to see if they have the item you’re looking for and if they are willing to let you borrow it, buy it, or have it. It’s a great way to try something before you buy, spend little to no money, and give purpose to an unused item.

Choose an alternative solution

New gadgets with specific uses are always entering the market. It’s hard to fight the urge to buy an item advertised to make the use of something easier. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to buy an item that is multi-use than to buy items that only work for a specific use. If you’re considering an item for a particular use, chances are, you already have something at home that will work just as well, if not better. Always try an alternative solution first with what you already have before deciding to buy a new gadget.

Control your weakness

In today’s world of advertising, you have more control over what you see. If you have a history of making impulse purchases with particular brands that you like, temporarily unplug from those brands. With one swift click, you can easily unsubscribe to emails and unfollow brands on social media. When their advertisements are out of sight, the urge to impulse buy is out of mind. Removing the temptation is much easier than resisting the urge to purchase when repeatedly shown an offer.

If online advertisements seem to track you down no matter what you do, and the temptation to spend is too great, try a few tips on avoiding overspending online.

Changing your spending habits will take time. Be patient and stay committed to your plan. Once you’ve shifted into the groove of not spending unnecessarily, you’ll find it much easier to keep your spending in check long-term.