One of my tips: purchase quality things.
When I was younger, I purchased whatever I could get the best deal on and what looked half way decent. For a while I would not spend more than say $50 on a pair of shoes. They got so cheap at Costco and other stores that I figured I can just get a new pair every few months. That changed a few years ago. I now have fewer shoes, but they are all of high quality (hand made in the USA). Except for my crocs, I have no idea where does are made
but back to the point: high quality stuff. When I was a kid my dad would always say that folks like us can't afford cheap things. Now, it is easier then ever to fall into this trap of buying cheaply made things, having them last a few months, and then just buy again and again. What's another $15, right? The walmarts of the world have made this easy and convenient - part of the reason we live in a throw away society.
Well made stuff can last for years - maybe even outlive you! Back to the shoes example: two years ago I purchased Danner Hunting shoes. Made in USA - they were quite a bit of money - but hey, my foot is always dry, super warm, and I know they will last and it is most likely the last pair I will ever buy.
Well made stuff breaks too, sometimes, but often the vendor stands by their product. I got some hand made oxfords from Walk About shoes - hand made in the USA - a few months after the leather in one spot separated at the seem - I contacted the vendor and they gave me an option of sending the shoes in for repair, or a full refund and I get to keep the shoes.
My wife got me a pair of high end binoculars a few years ago made by Vortex. Last hunting season I lost the lens caps, called Vortex and guess what, they sent me replacement covers free of charge. Their lifetime warranty covers such things. It even covers accidental damage, without having to purchased anything extra.
One last example - this fishing trip I broke a very expensive rod made by 13fishing - it wasn't exactly a manufacturer defect that broke it, but more my inexperience. I contacted them and without any questions they replaced it for the cost of shipping.
There are several reasons to buy quality things - they last longer, they are well made, and these manufacturer's typically stand behind their product. You should still learn to maintain whatever you buy - whether these are shoes, rods, or guns. Good maintenance on anything will prolong its lifetime - but I guess that's another tip.
Instead of buying things at a whim, I now take my time to research and if need be, I rather save up for a few months to buy something good.
I have a ton of crap in the garage that I purchased a long time ago because it was cheap that I hate using because it either never worked the way I wanted or broke pretty quickly. Cheap things get expensive over time. Save up, and buy good stuff. And there is nothing wrong with still looking for deals - I do that all the time. If I have something picked out that I don't need right away I wait until there is a deal. This same mentality often makes me buy gifts waaaaay in advance.
This post turned into something much longer than I anticipated - I hope it made sense.