We all have our bad shopping habits. One of the worst IMO is impulse buying. You could have budgeted and planned you'd save a certain amount of money but suddenly you find yourself buying something you didn't plan on buying and promising yourself that you'll stash the equivalent of the sum you spent in your savings account as soon as you can [which never happens]. So how do you guys kill the urge to buy things on impulse?
I must say that it is not easy but you have to try. Most people tend to spend more when they have cash in hand. I personally do that a lot. So I tend to stay using my cards and withdraw cash from the ATM only when it is necessary. Well for me it has helped a lot to keep me in line so I would try it.
It's not easy especially when you have the credits to spend. But I what I do is plain simple, I just leave my credit cards and bring in just enough cash to get my by. That way I would be mindful of how much cash I spend since I only have enough to get me through the day, I would carefully plan out my daily expenses and leave no room for any unplanned spending. I also find it useful to always pay using real cash rather than just swiping your card.
I just try not to get those impulses. This usually involves going into stores with a plan and sticking to it. More importantly, though, I try not to go into stores that prey on impulse shopping, such as the Ocean State Job Lot right near my parent's house. I love just going in and seeing what random stuff they have and what I could do with it. So, I try and stay out. Then again, as a college student with not too much money, I really don't have much to spend anyways.
I had this problem when I was younger and before I have my kid and I must say that it was one difficult habit to fight with especially when I was out with other friends or my husband at a shopping mall. I tried so hard to ignore it and I did manage for myself but nowadays I'm getting back to the habit for my young baby girl But we don't always go out to buy something anyway which is good because I can't be bothered carrying her all around just for the sake of shopping. So whenever we do, I will make sure that we have extra money to spend should I be getting extra to buy.
A good way is to budget out money every month for these "impulse" buys. That way it doesn't kill your budget when you find some sort of impulse buy that you like. I do it every month and it seems to work out well for me. Especially as I get a little older with more expenses, it's better just to plan everything out in advance, even the impulse buys.
I just try not to be too strict on myself, to be honest. That way, I don't end up feeling deprived and therefore am able to calmly judge situations as they come. If the feeling of impulsiveness is strong enough, and I really want the item, I'd just consider all of my options such as what I would be sacrificing in place of it, and if the price tag is low enough then I might not even think twice. I do this so that whenever I do decide on preventing myself from buying something, I wouldn't feel like I'm doing it way too often and I'd feel that holding off now wouldn't be too much of a deprivation, so I am able to gauge the current situation more objectively.
A lot of the items I want on impulse are available online so I just add them to my Amazon wishlist. A lot of times, after an item has been sitting on my Amazon wishlist for a while, I find that I don't want it anymore or there's a better alternative. My Amazon wishlist saves me money because it gives me a chance to think about whether I really need an item before I waste money on it.
This may sound unbelievable but I don't impulse buy much at all. I just don't like spending money in general. If in the event that I do because I know that even I will want to buy something once in a while, I will think about how often I would use it. When I went to San Diego, there were souvenirs that I might have got but I thought about how much I liked them. Basically, if it's in the category "I have to have it" then I will buy it but if it's only something that would be nice to have and it's expensive then I won't.
I'm very guilty of impulse buying! I always buy on impulse and regret later on. And I specially spend a lot on makeup when I already have a huge makeup collection. Right now I'm overcoming that by looking at my bank account and seeing how much I already have to pay. My account is actually currently negative and that is concerning a lot. So everytime I want to buy something I think about that. I also unsubscribed from the most tempting websites that send me email newsletters. Then I don't know about their sales and new launches and don't feel as tempted to buy!
Trying to stop impulse buying is hard. Really hard. It's probably because it is so " in the moment" and you don't have any time to think over the decision. The thing I do to combat this is, when wanting to buy something from Amazon or somewhere else, I think about how long I would have to work at my job to earn that amount. I have a good amount of Amazon credit from gift cards built up on my Amazon account, but I still try to be mindful when making purchases.
I think that to be able to stop impulse buying, you should not carry more cash than you need when you're outside, because for sure you will buy something that you don't need when you see something that you like. Good thing I'm not prone to impulse buying, because I always like to have savings in case of a rainy day.
Sometimes when the shopping goes over the top there are ways for overcoming it and that is how it is important.What i personally feel is stuff should also be bought that is the need because that can be preference.If we keep buying things which aren't our need and spending a certain amount of money on it that can be unnecessary and at the same time can help us understanding that what should be bought and what not.
I don't really have any problems with disciplining myself when it comes to sudden buying impulses. I simply think of all the people who depend on me, and how they would react if I suddenly spent money on something that is extravagant or unnecessary. Of course, I don't deny myself certain small luxuries, but I always carefully weigh those sudden desires to buy something spontaneously on the scales.
Yeah i guess that is how it is,The thing is when its about being reputed all the things which are having a right outcome or public word of mouth are those that goes positively so yeah it works for me most of the times.
There is no way to kill the urge to be impulsive. it is a decision you need to make. You need to to take control and just not do it, it's that simple. Anything else is nothing more then excuses mixed with bullshit. You are in control of yourself if you choose to be.
I buy stuff off of impulse all the time, I know it's not a good habit though. If I want something I sometimes get obsessed with it until I buy it, then I move on to the next thing.
God I know that feeling. It's like the idea is there and it won't go away until I've bought that product. It's especially bad with sweets and such
I just don't buy them, I tend to rationalize about how much money I have and if I really need that particular product. I would just think for a while and I would hold before I purchase anything as to avoid being impulsive.
I just stick to my budget that's all. I carry around the exact money that I would need, I keep tight on my budget and I only buy what I need. Even if I see a SALE sign on the stores I just walk away. It's hard really but if you don't bring along all your money you'll be fine.
