Everyone’s done it—you pop into a shop for one thing and end up leaving with a bunch of things you didn’t plan to buy. Spontaneous spending is one of the major obstacles to accumulating wealth, and it can easily disrupt your money goals if you’re not cautious. The good news is that overcoming spontaneous purchases is possible, and with a little self-control and a few helpful tricks, you can start saving more money and making wiser spending decisions. The key is to identify the triggers behind your spending and shift those behaviors with positive, money-saving behaviours.
The first step to reducing impulsive buying is to create a budget and follow it. Knowing exactly how much money you have allocated for extras each month can help you resist the urge to purchase items impulsively. When you see something saving money tips for women you are tempted to purchase, give yourself a cooling-off period—give it a day before pulling the trigger. This gives you time to evaluate whether you actually need the product or if it’s just an unnecessary desire. Usually, you’ll find that the desire to buy fades, and you’ll avoid spending money needlessly.
Another useful idea is to reduce opportunities for temptation. If buying online is your downfall, unsubscribe from promotional emails and remove saved payment details from your favourite shopping websites. If you tend to spend impulsively in person, shop without credit cards and use only cash. By creating barriers to spending, you’ll have more time to think about your purchases and avoid getting caught in impulsive buying habits. Changing your spending habits may take time, but the eventual payoffs—greater savings and lower money worries—are definitely rewarding.