We’ve all been there—had an impulse buy. For some people, it’s a once-in-a-while thing and for others, it happens often. Apparently, impulse buying has gotten even worse during the pandemic. This type of buying is emotional and usually the result of sadness, boredom, and anxiety. While impulse buys are okay from time to time, they can lead to instant regret and wreak havoc on your budget and lifestyle. Here are some tips to stop impulse buying.
Delay Your Purchases
Before buying something, think about it for at least 24 hours. Leave the item in your cart during this time and ask yourself if it’s something you need. If you still want it after 24 hours, think about if you can budget for it.
Make it Harder to Shop
With online buying we can buy whatever we want while at home 24/7. Make it harder to shop by deleting shopping apps from your phone so you have to go to the store’s website or in store. Also, remove your credit card information from sites where you shop, so you have to think about what you’re buying.
Do Something Else
If you shop when you’re feeling down, do something else like exercising, calling a friend, or listening to music.
