Strategies for Avoiding Impulse Buys

Impulsive purchases are usually driven by emotions and desires instead of careful consideration and planning. Many times it involves acting on a whim and making an impulsive purchase that you didn't budget for or originally plan to make make. You're not really thinking about the long-term outcome will be after you make the purchase (i.e. messes up your budget or causes clutter).

There are different things you can do to help you avoid this type of spending.

Planning and Preparation

First, you want to set a realistic budget and see if you have money for discretionary spending. You can create a shopping list based on the things you need and stick to the list when you are shopping.

Mindful Shopping

When you are actually shopping, try to delay gratification by make the impulsive purchase. You could tell yourself you are going to wait X number of days or weeks and see if you still want or need the item after that time. Think about why you want the item and what the long-term implications are of getting it.

Life Adjustments

If you know that you are tempted with every promotional email that floods your inbox, unsubscribe. If there is a huge promotional event coming up but you know you can't afford anything extra at the moment, don't go just to window shop. Look through the stuff that you already own and see if you can change it up to make it into something new that you can enjoy.

Using Budget Tools

Think about using a budgeting app to help you keep track of your expenses and any money that you can set aside, as well as let you know if you are overspending. If there is something that you truly want, you can save up for it and pay for it guilt-free. Check out the following budgeting apps for help: Mint, YNAB (You Need A Budget), or PocketGuard.