{"id":17777,"date":"2022-02-28T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comparehero.my\/blog\/uncategorized\/how-to-stop-impulse-buying.html"},"modified":"2022-02-28T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T11:00:00","slug":"how-to-stop-impulse-buying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comparehero.my\/blog\/money-tips\/how-to-stop-impulse-buying.html","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways To Stop Impulse Shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever been to the mall with the plan to only get 3 items but ended up leaving with a bunch of items that aren\u2019t even on your list? Overspending during shopping and impulse buying happens too often. There are advertisements everywhere we look, whether it\u2019s on the Internet or a billboard giving us a ton of reasons to swipe our card. <\/p>\n\n

We\u2019ve all been there and done that before. While it\u2019s okay to occasionally break the rules and splurge on something you\u2019ve been longing for, giving in too much and too often to impulse buying can impact your personal finance in the long term. <\/p>\n

The good news is that if we can just implement tiny little changes to our lives and how we perceive spending<\/a>, we can take back the control of our money and be much more conscious about spending them. <\/p>\n

Here are six ways to stop impulse shopping: <\/p>\n

1. Include discretionary spending <\/h2>\n

We call this the \u201csplurge budget\u201d, where we essentially allow ourselves to spend a little on the fun and unnecessary stuff<\/a>. This is surprisingly a healthy practice as it is somewhat similar to healthy eating. You have to give yourself some flexibility or room for that retail therapy. These are items that you might need to fuel your hobbies or perhaps books or courses for yourself. <\/p>\n

The reason we want to be more aware of our spending is to have more control over it, but if we become completely militant to this, it defeats the purpose. It may even discourage you from sticking to the budget altogether. That said, you don\u2019t have to spend the entire budget for this, if you don\u2019t have anything to buy, there is no need to accumulate more items than you need. Stash this cash elsewhere or just save for the rainy days. <\/p>\n

2. Use cash for your discretionary spending<\/h2>\n

The reason for this is that swiping a card often feels like you\u2019re not spending \u201creal money\u201d. Because of that, it is much easier to go over budget as there is no limit to how much you can spend. On the other hand, if you\u2019re carrying cash, once it\u2019s gone, it\u2019s gone. You cannot summon any extra cash and therefore, have no way of going over budget at all. <\/p>\n

Go a step further and leave your credit or debit cards at home. The further it is away from you and the more difficult it is for you to get to it, the less likely you will be tempted to use it. <\/p>\n

Related: <\/strong>Use These 7 Cash Tricks to Grow Your Savings<\/a><\/p>\n

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Paying in cash.<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Waiting period before buying<\/h2>\n

When you see something you really want, don\u2019t buy it yet. Wait. Let it simmer. Research<\/a> has found that these are the times when most people impulse buy and regret afterwards. Unless that item is something you really need and you\u2019ve done your research on it, give it a grace period of about a week. <\/p>\n

Marketers use scarcity to urge buyers to make that impulse decision. For example: \u201cWhen it\u2019s gone, it\u2019s gone\u201d or \u201conly 2 stocks left\u201d. This is not our rational mind talking, this is our fear of missing out on talking. <\/p>\n

The worst thing that can happen is that the promotion deal is gone and you get to save this chunk of money. Life goes on, no big deal, there\u2019ll be another one that\u2019s similar to this. And the best thing that can happen is that this grace period has just saved you from that impulse purchase. <\/p>\n

4. Shop less often<\/h2>\n

Everything is just so enticing when we go to the mall. So how can we combat this? We just don\u2019t go there. We change the narrative. <\/p>\n

If you really need to, then yes, have a shopping list and head to the mall. But if you don\u2019t have to, find another hobby<\/a> or way to spend your time that isn\u2019t shopping. While retail therapy can sometimes be fun, there are other ways you can cheer yourself up including watching a comedy show, baking a cake, walk around the park, or simply hanging out with some friends. <\/p>\n

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Don’t impulse buy.<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t shop when you\u2019re emotional<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s talk about retail therapy. This term initially came about upon the idea to fight the feeling of being bored, stressed out, or sad. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as you can afford it. But it\u2019s important to also know what are the triggers that make you want to go for retail therapy. <\/p>\n

Ask yourself: <\/p>\n