How Do You Talk Yourself Out Of Impulse Purchases?

That’s an excellent tip, I’d never thought of it that way. I’m not particularly prone to impulse purchases but I can see myself avoiding them altogether using that tip.

The thing I usually ask myself is whether the item really has a place in my life. For example, if it’s a clothing item, can I mix and match it with what I already own? Or for other things, will I use it regularly, do I have the space to store it, or is it worth displaying? Or do I own something similar that I’m just not using for whatever reason? It usually keeps things under control for me.

 

I'm quite good now because I have limited space so I picture how I will store it if I move. If it's bulky and not a good bargain it goes back, only bargains that take up little or no space will get bought. I don't impulse buy anymore because I've seen how hazardous it is and expensive. Takes up room and never gets used!

 

I ask myself whether I actually need it or not first. Being on a limited budget means I have very little spare cash for impulse purchases as it is so I do consider every purchase very carefully.

 

I'm not really all that prone to impulse buying these days. I used to just try and really take into consideration whether or not I needed that particular something. Or, if it wasn't a question of need (as in maybe a food item I just decided I wanted) I might ask myself how much enjoyment I really thought I'd get out of it when weighed with price and the fact that it was likely not a healthy choice anyway.

Something I have done and still do when I run up on something that catches my attention is to tell myself, "Not today, but maybe next time if I still want it."

Usually by the next time I will have either talked myself out of it or forgotten it altogether. If not, well by then I've considered it and it's no longer an impulse buy.

 

I just try to talk to myself and tell myself that I don't really need 'it', whatever the 'it' happens to be. Most of the time that statement is true anyway, so I've learned how to talk to myself and just say no to some things. I will occasionally slip up and buy something that is totally unnecessary just because I like to shop, and there's so much out there to entice one into buying.

 

Sounds like something that I should use more often.

Another great way to talk yourself out of impulse purchases is by calculating how much you'd have, say 20 years later if you sent the money in your savings account earning a certain % of interest each year.

 

Hmmm. I had never thought about it like that before. But that is actually a really good way to curb impulsive online spending. Luckily, I don't have a problem with spending online in the first place. I don't make much money, which means that I never have all that much money to spend. I only order things from the internet that I absolutely need, and even those things I do not want to spend money on, because if I do, I know it's going to take a long time to build back up to that amount again.

That is enough to deter me from making impulsive purchases, whether online or off.