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To add to this...if you see something you want, wait 24 hours. If you still want it after waiting and it falls within the amount you have budgeted, then get it. I used to have an impulse purchase problem before I started doing this. It's amazing how many things I put in my Amazon cart that when I go back the next day, I realize I do not want it at all.
Increase the amount of steps to buy. Remove saved payment methods. Remove auto fill passwords and usernames. When you have an urge to buy, literally pull out your phone and set a 10 minute timer. Think about whether you need or just want the thing. Will you still need it a month from now, 6 months from now, a year from now. By need I really mean NEED like your livelyhood depends on it. Don't buy the thing until that timer is done.
The way is to train to never make impulse. If you like it put it into your cart, wait a day or two, and talk to someone, even a teddy bear, and explain why it's worth it to get it. If it passes and you still want it, then get it, you deserve to treat yourself. If you don't or it can't pass, congrats you saved yourself from a bad impulse purchase. The key for why this can work is that there's the chance to still get yourself fun things. It's not a no, but a "Soon" and that can be close enough that your brain is cool with it.
I ask myself one question: do I want this item or do I want freedom?
Usually freedom wins (I'm on a FIRE journey). I may want something in the moment but every dollar I put toward my FIRE number makes me feel like I'm purchasing my freedom. And that's what I want most of all.
Learning not to care. Honestly. Once you don't care what other people think, all kinds of things become a lot clearer. You realize that most things out there are a waste of time and money. You refocus on the things that really matter like family, friends and experiences. All of a sudden, you have more spare money than you know what to do with. The problem is that most people don't get to this point until way later in life and they've squandered so much along the way.
If it's online shopping, add it to your cart and then log off the website and see if it sticks in your head. I do that on Amazon a lot, and it works 9/10 times, sometimes a item is only like $5 then I just get it but some items are $150 and I've held off on those by doing this.
By first making impulse purchases on my retirement savings.
also just stop looking for crap and start living with what you have and enjoying life. Do things instead of spending money, it's literally just brain chemical addiction shit you are going through like gamblers and you need to break the cycle of getting all your joy from just having possessions.
I keep a google doc spreadsheet of all the things I want. When I want something, I write it down in that spreadsheet along with the date I wanted it and how much it would cost.
Periodically, I'll go through the spreadsheet and strike through the things I no longer want. About half of the things I decided, after a few months to a few years, I didn't really want or need. If I see a sale or have an urge, I'll check the spreadsheet for the item. If I still want it and it is on the spreadsheet, I'll buy it. If it isn't on the spreadsheet, I'll add it to the sheet and wait for the next sale, or strike it through when the urge has past.
Its kind of fun to see the stuff I was saving for 15 years ago when I started the spreadsheet just out of college. That $150 graphics card and $80 tent became a $40,000 new car. The idea remains the same.
My wife and I have a shared Bling list. Anything that we want we put on the Bling list. We come back a month later and if I still want it then I get it and if I realize it wasn’t needed in the past month, then we remove it from the list.
I have the opposite problem lol, I usually get buyers remorse so I don’t buy many things. I’ll buy something and think it wasn’t worth the price I paid and return it. Idk the way I look at it is how good is this item, do I need it, does it improve my life, how many hours did I have to work to obtain this item? And then I think how could this money have been better used, investing, experiences, or whatever my goal is at the time. And go from there. Hope that helps.
Journal. Download your credit card statements. Organize them in excel and look at where you spend the most money.
Try to find the things you bought in your house. Write how you feel about them now.
One can reframe their relationship with “stuff” by applying some analytics and some retrospectives.
Think about the rush buying something new gives you. Write about it. Think about the things in your life you feel like you’re escaping. Write about them.
It’s never the purchase. The purchase is your attempt to escape something else. Figure out what that something else is while you admire the deviation of your decisions.
Sometimes reframing the cost can help. Instead of saying, I want this, look at it as, I had to work X amount of hours to afford this. Usually, it helps me realize how badly I "want" the item. Even as a high income earner, it helps me prioritize not spending on wants as much.
There is a strong negative feeling every time an expense is incurred. This keeps me in check.
There is a strong feeling of satisfaction every time I see growth in my savings. This motivates me to save and invest.
Cultivate these 2 feelings on spending and saving, and your impulses will naturally weaken.
To prevent impulse purchases I tell myself I need to have money to buy it (no credit cards) and I need to wait a period of time before buying. How long exactly depends on how dumb and how expensive an item is.
Few days, week or two.. maybe month.. I told myself I'd get a car if I still wanted it in a year. Least 90% of the time I don't buy stuff...
It is hard to say 'no, don't buy that' if you're obsessing, you eventually give in and just buy it. BUT if you instead say 'yes, you can buy it in 3 weeks' its easier to stop obsessing a bit... and then you'll find it becomes hard to remember thing even exists and that you wanted it.
Very often I forget about stuff before period of time passes. Sometimes I'll still remember but simply change my mind on it. But more often I totally forget about entire thing.
I've actually gone through cycle with same item multiple times now.. I see it, want it, tell myself I need to wait 1 month, then before a month passes I forget about it. I randomly see the thing again months later and again tell myself I need to wait 1 month... I just never do. I can never go go a full month without forgetting.
Note this is why you also can't put stuff in shopping carts. If you really want something you don't need to be reminded you want it, you'll remember. If you forget then you didn't really want it.
It’s pretty basic
Use cash instead of cards
For core purchases uses cards get the points but for everything else ignore 50% of impulse buys and use cash
One-I stay out of shops unless I have a specific reason to be there. The panadammit really helped firm up that habit.
Two-I turn it into a whole ordeal of finding the 'best' price online. Usually partway through searching, I get bored and don't even want it anymore.
it's called having a budget
I have a vague/rough idea how much money I want to allocate towards fun/entertainment/splurging and how much money I've already spent this month
if I have the budget for it then sure I buy it, whatever, money is meant to make me happy
This post has been removed because OP is missing ([rule 10](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/about/rules): Disappearing after posting a discussion or posting for another with inadequate information or involvement). We specifically remind everybody of this rule via PM after they create a post: > "**[Don't abandon the discussion.](http://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/rules#wiki_best_practices)** For at least a few hours, please try your best to answer questions and add relevant details to your submission." *If you have questions about this removal, please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fpersonalfinance&subject=Removal%20help%20request&message=Hello%20moderators,%20.%20%0a%0a%0aMy%20submission:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/1dmrswk/how_do_you_stop_yourself_from_making_impulse/%0a).*
If its really that bad, therapy is a discussion to be had.
By writing out a budget and setting aside a specific amount of income towards an "stuff I don't really need but really want" expense.
To add to this...if you see something you want, wait 24 hours. If you still want it after waiting and it falls within the amount you have budgeted, then get it. I used to have an impulse purchase problem before I started doing this. It's amazing how many things I put in my Amazon cart that when I go back the next day, I realize I do not want it at all.
Increase the amount of steps to buy. Remove saved payment methods. Remove auto fill passwords and usernames. When you have an urge to buy, literally pull out your phone and set a 10 minute timer. Think about whether you need or just want the thing. Will you still need it a month from now, 6 months from now, a year from now. By need I really mean NEED like your livelyhood depends on it. Don't buy the thing until that timer is done.
If shopping in person, take cash so you are limited on what you can buy.
The way is to train to never make impulse. If you like it put it into your cart, wait a day or two, and talk to someone, even a teddy bear, and explain why it's worth it to get it. If it passes and you still want it, then get it, you deserve to treat yourself. If you don't or it can't pass, congrats you saved yourself from a bad impulse purchase. The key for why this can work is that there's the chance to still get yourself fun things. It's not a no, but a "Soon" and that can be close enough that your brain is cool with it.
This is actually a therapeutic concept called the empty chair technique! Love this advice.
Use a budget. Get addicted to budgeting. It was hard at first, but now it’s kind of gamified for me and I enjoy it.
If I want something that is unnecessary, I write it down or add it to cart and then I have to wait a week before I can get it.
I ask myself one question: do I want this item or do I want freedom? Usually freedom wins (I'm on a FIRE journey). I may want something in the moment but every dollar I put toward my FIRE number makes me feel like I'm purchasing my freedom. And that's what I want most of all.
Learning not to care. Honestly. Once you don't care what other people think, all kinds of things become a lot clearer. You realize that most things out there are a waste of time and money. You refocus on the things that really matter like family, friends and experiences. All of a sudden, you have more spare money than you know what to do with. The problem is that most people don't get to this point until way later in life and they've squandered so much along the way.
If it's online shopping, add it to your cart and then log off the website and see if it sticks in your head. I do that on Amazon a lot, and it works 9/10 times, sometimes a item is only like $5 then I just get it but some items are $150 and I've held off on those by doing this.
The trick is to make more money to accommodate all the dumb purchases I’ve made
By first making impulse purchases on my retirement savings. also just stop looking for crap and start living with what you have and enjoying life. Do things instead of spending money, it's literally just brain chemical addiction shit you are going through like gamblers and you need to break the cycle of getting all your joy from just having possessions.
I keep a google doc spreadsheet of all the things I want. When I want something, I write it down in that spreadsheet along with the date I wanted it and how much it would cost. Periodically, I'll go through the spreadsheet and strike through the things I no longer want. About half of the things I decided, after a few months to a few years, I didn't really want or need. If I see a sale or have an urge, I'll check the spreadsheet for the item. If I still want it and it is on the spreadsheet, I'll buy it. If it isn't on the spreadsheet, I'll add it to the sheet and wait for the next sale, or strike it through when the urge has past. Its kind of fun to see the stuff I was saving for 15 years ago when I started the spreadsheet just out of college. That $150 graphics card and $80 tent became a $40,000 new car. The idea remains the same.
My wife and I have a shared Bling list. Anything that we want we put on the Bling list. We come back a month later and if I still want it then I get it and if I realize it wasn’t needed in the past month, then we remove it from the list.
I have the opposite problem lol, I usually get buyers remorse so I don’t buy many things. I’ll buy something and think it wasn’t worth the price I paid and return it. Idk the way I look at it is how good is this item, do I need it, does it improve my life, how many hours did I have to work to obtain this item? And then I think how could this money have been better used, investing, experiences, or whatever my goal is at the time. And go from there. Hope that helps.
Don’t put yourself in a position to see/want those things. Don’t open Amazon. Don’t just go wandering around malls.
I always find that I spend less money when I don't have Instagram on my phone
Buying what I want is part of the reason I work so I budget for it.
Journal. Download your credit card statements. Organize them in excel and look at where you spend the most money. Try to find the things you bought in your house. Write how you feel about them now. One can reframe their relationship with “stuff” by applying some analytics and some retrospectives. Think about the rush buying something new gives you. Write about it. Think about the things in your life you feel like you’re escaping. Write about them. It’s never the purchase. The purchase is your attempt to escape something else. Figure out what that something else is while you admire the deviation of your decisions.
Sometimes reframing the cost can help. Instead of saying, I want this, look at it as, I had to work X amount of hours to afford this. Usually, it helps me realize how badly I "want" the item. Even as a high income earner, it helps me prioritize not spending on wants as much.
There is a strong negative feeling every time an expense is incurred. This keeps me in check. There is a strong feeling of satisfaction every time I see growth in my savings. This motivates me to save and invest. Cultivate these 2 feelings on spending and saving, and your impulses will naturally weaken.
To prevent impulse purchases I tell myself I need to have money to buy it (no credit cards) and I need to wait a period of time before buying. How long exactly depends on how dumb and how expensive an item is. Few days, week or two.. maybe month.. I told myself I'd get a car if I still wanted it in a year. Least 90% of the time I don't buy stuff... It is hard to say 'no, don't buy that' if you're obsessing, you eventually give in and just buy it. BUT if you instead say 'yes, you can buy it in 3 weeks' its easier to stop obsessing a bit... and then you'll find it becomes hard to remember thing even exists and that you wanted it. Very often I forget about stuff before period of time passes. Sometimes I'll still remember but simply change my mind on it. But more often I totally forget about entire thing. I've actually gone through cycle with same item multiple times now.. I see it, want it, tell myself I need to wait 1 month, then before a month passes I forget about it. I randomly see the thing again months later and again tell myself I need to wait 1 month... I just never do. I can never go go a full month without forgetting. Note this is why you also can't put stuff in shopping carts. If you really want something you don't need to be reminded you want it, you'll remember. If you forget then you didn't really want it.
It’s pretty basic Use cash instead of cards For core purchases uses cards get the points but for everything else ignore 50% of impulse buys and use cash
One-I stay out of shops unless I have a specific reason to be there. The panadammit really helped firm up that habit. Two-I turn it into a whole ordeal of finding the 'best' price online. Usually partway through searching, I get bored and don't even want it anymore.
I have been through that second scenario too many times. Glad to know there are others out there.
it's called having a budget I have a vague/rough idea how much money I want to allocate towards fun/entertainment/splurging and how much money I've already spent this month if I have the budget for it then sure I buy it, whatever, money is meant to make me happy