Before you step inside a supermarket, you should have your shopping list ready. Have a shopping list with all the items you intend to buy and walk from shelf to shelf, picking these items and ticking them on the list. Without a shopping list, you can end up buying items you don't really need because you don't have somewhere to refer to when buying.
This may sound like being selfish, but it actually helps you avoid impulse buying. When you go shopping in others' company, you are likely to buy items you did not plan for because of the pressure. Your friend will easily notice a beautiful dress and ask you to try it, and before you know, you'll be paying for this item.
When you go shopping alone, it's much easier to stick to your shopping list and only buy what you planned to buy. The impulse in most shops is great, but you can easily work around it if you don't have someone pushing you around to shop for what you didn't' plan for in the first place. Have a plan to buy and stick to it. You should not let any sales going around you to influence your buying decisions.
You can set your own rules on buying an item. For instance, once you plan to buy anything above $100, you can take some time, like a week or month, to think about. Buying anything costly the first time it crosses your mind is never a good idea.
The longer you wait and think about buying the item, the better because you can easily adjust your budget and save some money for the item. Maybe after some time, you may realize you don't really need the item you were almost buying and that you have some more 'serious' bills and items on your end-month shopping list.
Whenever you visit a brick and mortar store and notice some item on the shelf that you think is essential, you can note it down and revisit after a month. You can also compare the item's price online and get the best deals if you finally decide to buy it. This way, you save some money you'd somehow use when shopping on the spot.
If you are fond of impulse buying, you should always go for items with a return clause. In most cases, the most tempting items to buy are the ones you cannot return to the shop once you buy them.
When buying on impulse, you should only buy items that you can return because you may just change your mind when you are finally home, and you came to your sense. It feels very bad buying something you cannot return. When you've paid for the item only to realize it is defective or useless for now.
You are more likely to spend on items you don't need at the beginning of the month when your paycheck comes in. This is perhaps the best time to set a no-spend challenge for non-essential items like electronics. For example, you can decide to;
- Cook all your meals at home and avoid spending on fast food at your local joint.
- Buy only basic and most essential items like housing, insurance, groceries, etc.
- You won't buy any new clothes for the next two months.
- Wait until the next day before you can spend your money on an expensive item.
Online shopping sites have a way of following you even on social media, especially when you recently abandoned your cart or liked some items on their catalog. To avoid the pressure of buying from online shops whenever you go online, you can block all shopping sites when using your smartphone or computer.
The internet makes it easier to buy and buy without thinking about the items' value in your cart. The temptation is great when adverts keep popping up on your screen. You can limit the impulse by simply blocking all adverts and shopping sites on your browser.
Final Thoughts
You should avoid impulse purchases if you want to keep track of your expenses and live within your means. Impulse buying makes it difficult for you to account for your money and plan your expense, especially when the economy gets rough. By following these six tips, you can find relief from impulse buying.
