I just consciously remind myself of my budget 24/7, if I go to the store, it's with a particular list in mind and no exceptions unless it's something we've been needing on an exceptional deal- both conditions met to bypass the list, not just one. To me the long term goal of keeping within my budget is more satisfying than a short-lived happiness from random shopping. As far as things I just want that I might be tempted to get, I put it on it's own list, price compare and wait at least 2 weeks before I reconsider it. After those 2 weeks, do I still want it just as much? Does it still seem worth the price? If it's a yes for both, I'll consider getting it. A friend suggested that method and I can't even tell you how much money it's saved me overall because 9 times out of 10 I really just wanted to fulfill that impulse...2 weeks and some thought later and it doesn't seem as desirable, so I save myself from a lot of purchases that I might have regretted.
If I do impulse buy it usually is in the supermarket and involves something cheap like a new food product or some new shaving cream or razor. Nothing expensive like electronic equipment or fancy furniture or a car. The main problem with me is I don't do enough research when buying new products. If I see a couple of advertisements and the product is shiny and sleek looking I buy it. But especially when it comes to food, any new product that the big companies like Kellogs, Kraft or Pepsi etc come out with I have to try.
Controlling impulse buying is actually very easy for me because of my need to research everything I buy. If something suddenly goes on sale I research it and make sure I'm getting the best of whatever that thing is. If I can't do a thorough research, in a store for example, I will most likely not get that item. This works for most things, except food. If I'm having a craving and I see it somewhere it will be in my mouth in less than a minute.
I normally have a difficult time restraining myself from making impulse purchases. Recent financial hard times have made it necessary for me to reign myself in. The best trick I have is to make a list, tally the cost, and drive to an ATM where I take out the total. I leave my cards in my car. That way, if I underestimated the cost of a shopping trip, I could always just walk to the car to get my card. I have never had to. Just the fact that it would be irritating to leave my cart in the store while I go out to retrieve my car has been deterrent enough to keep me from making unnecessary purchases so far.
I used to be a HUGE impulse buyer. Now I have a trick or two to keep myself in check with uncontrollable spending. My biggest one is to wait a few days to buy something you want. If you see something in a store just note it and come back in a week. If you still want it really bad then it should be a safe purchase. Another one would be to leave the debit card at home or in a place where it requires effort to get it. Also, make sure to take the instant buy setting off of websites. You'll be much less likely to make impulse buys if it actually takes some effort to make the purchase. It gives you more time to think about what you're doing.
My husband has this problem. He tries to save but as soon as he see something that he wants then he gets it. Every week, I take what enough money out of his check and put it up for bills and gas. He never notices that it is gone. This way, he will not spend his whole paycheck in two days. He is very careless with money.
Here's the funny thing about impulse purchases. A lot of those hot items that you must have eventually end up at Goodwill and they look pretty sad sitting on those shelves after the excitement wears off. The last time I went to Goodwill, I saw 3 Shake Weights, a George Foreman grill, a Tassimo and a little chrome rack to hold K cups on the counter. At some point, people wanted these items badly, maybe even went into debt for them. But now they're at Goodwill, just a bunch of clutter. It makes it seem silly that people work so hard to pay these items off, only to tire of them and dispose of them.
I don't. Right now, that I'm not looking the product of my dreams in the face I can tell myself that I won't impulse buy anything again until I'm rich. But the fact is, the next time I see something ridiculous online that I suddenly realize will complete me and make my life whole again I'm going to buy it. My husband keeps the money out of my reach for this very reason. Unfortunately, I have figured out exactly how long I have to annoy him about it before he gives in. The worst part is... As soon as I order it and I can't take it back, I realize that wasn't the product of my dreams afterall. The product I saw immediately afterwards was. I guess, basically, what I'm trying to say is as soon as I find a way to stops self I'll let you know.
Well, this is no longer a problem for me because I simply don't have the money to squander on things I don't really need. Before, when we had a guaranteed monthly income, I used to fall into that trap. Now I draw a budget and stick to it religiously. When I go shopping, I have a list that I can't deviate from because every single cent has to be accounted for. Plus, we've had to cut right back, that leaves absolutely ZILCH room for impulse buys.
I used to be an impulsive buyer but now I've reformed. When I see something I like, I take note of the price of that item and go store hopping, hoping to find a store that has the lowest price. I go from store to store until I get tired and forgets about it. The excitement suddenly wears off and I usually go home empty handed.
I think that sometimes you just have to stop and think about how much damage the impulse buying is doing to your finances, because sometimes it can be quite a lot without you even realising it. For example, I went through a period of buying a lot of clothes without really needing them, and I noticed that my savings had gone down rather dramatically. So, now I write a list when I am going to the shops of the things that I actually need, and I will never buy anything that isn't on the list unless I know that it's something that I genuinely need, rather than just genuinely want.
I usually get all my essential expenditure out of the way first, move a set amount into savings, then I have a bit of breathing room for impulse buying if need be. It's far more a habit than anything else, and one I never got into. So on the very odd occasion I do impulse buy, I don't feel guilty about it at all.
I only carry cash into stores, not credit cards or even my debit card. I can't exceed what I have in my pocket so that limits the damage. My mom says, "What if you have an emergency?" I have my amex card number memorized and my debit card too. Most tow companies and auto repair places will be happy to punch your credit card number into a machine. Your average retail store cashier won't/can't. Only having cash prevents me from making a lot of impulse purchases. My rule for amazon purchases is unless it's an item I buy regularly (i.e. my allergy pills), I have to leave it in my cart for at least 24 hours before I buy. That forces me to give myself time to consider the purchase.
Giving myself a stern talking to usually helps. I still have the habit of buying things on impulse, but my income is such to where I really can't afford to buy things that I don't need. I still do it sometimes but suffer for it later, so most of the time I reel myself in purely out of necessity to do so.
That's a great tactic. I only have so much in the budget, so I'm naturally restrained right now, but if money wasn't so tight, and I was trying to cut back, I think I'd use Amanda K's method.
I've heard or probably read somewhere that impulse buying is a way of trying to fill something else that's missing in your life. I suppose that could be true to some extent, depending on the degree of impulse buying one does. Sometimes, I think it's just us looking for a chance to treat ourselves. We work hard. We deserve it. Then, it becomes a habit. Sometimes, we just have to say no. I can't afford impulse buys. I find myself putting stuff in my cart and then taking it back out. There is always someplace else that money could be used. We're currently saving to finish paying for a weekend away for our anniversary. We started early, or we wouldn't have been able to do it. If I blow money on rubbish now, it will only take away from our nice plans. We do things like this every so often... save up for something good instead of wasting money on junk. Like, instead of buying each other "stuff" for birthdays, Mother's and Father's Day, anniversary, etc. we buy one bigger ticket item that we'll both enjoy or we take a little getaway. We just decided that if we were going to treat ourselves, we might as well make it a real treat. All that said, maybe give yourself something really good to save up for and maybe you won't be so tempted to buy all the "stuff" that comes along. If finances are an issue, make it a long term goal and save up over time. Each time you don't buy the "next best thing" or whatever, you put a few bucks in the piggy bank and save it to put toward something nice.
I guess it all comes down to creating that habit. Little by little, day by day, just resisting the urge and then one day noticing the urge has become less strong!
It just depends on how big of a habit you have. Now for me, it all comes down to how much money you got. I have a tendency to be very impulsive to a lot of things, so I have to be very careful about how much I put into my wallet. If I don't have it, then I don't have the urge to spend it.
I find that if I only have a certain amount of cash in my pocket it is easier for me to control the need to spend it. I can go crazy with the card but the cash is gone when it is gone, the card is left at home to avoid the temptation to spend money that needs to go somewhere else.
It's easy to avoid buying things on impulse when you don't have unlimited funds. The problem is that most people live on credit cards or they "rob Peter to pay Paul" with their bill money. In order stop, one simply has to make the decision to be mature and responsible with money.
