How to stop impulse buying
Finding the Negatives
When you feel the urge to make a purchase, the first thing to do is to search for any potential downsides.
Common keywords to use in your search include “cons,” “not recommended,” “not great,” and “disappointing,” along with the product name. For example, search for “Product X drawbacks,” “Product Y not recommended,” “Product Z not great,” or “Product W disappointing.”
Just going through this first step can help cool down your strong desire to buy.
If there are no downsides?
Or even if there are some downsides but they don’t bother you much?
And you still really want it?
Desire Notes!
Record your desires.
Whether it’s something you want to buy, own, or do, write down everything you desire. No matter how big or small, just jot down all the things you want. It doesn’t have to be related to shopping only; it can be any desire you have in life.
By putting your desires into words, you make them more tangible and realistic. The feelings you get when you write them down can be quite different from just thinking about them vaguely. It becomes clearer what you truly want.
So, one by one, list everything you desire. What do you want to buy, to have, to experience?
This process helps you understand whether this particular desire is worth pursuing right now or if it can wait.
Checking the Balance
Check your finances: your available cash, bank balance, outstanding loans.
Assess your financial situation, and see how much you can realistically afford to spend. If you find that your finances are tight or you have debts to pay off, it may make you hesitate.
Hesitating and pondering whether to make a purchase is a way of proving to yourself that it’s not as crucial as you initially thought. So, you decide not to buy it.
On the other hand, if you have the financial freedom to make the purchase without causing any financial strain, go ahead.
Buying in this manner is responsible spending.
It’s smart shopping.
It’s buying without regrets.