5 Simple Ways to Beat Impulse Buying

Confessions of a shopaholic: “It is the sale season and I’m almost going crazy.” Amazing deals and discounts can be so tempting that controlling the urge to shop becomes next to impossible. But before you become a compulsive shopper and spend all your hard earned money on random things, we’re here to help you and also share some useful tips on how to control your urge to spend. Read our Simple Ways to Beat Impulse Buying to live happily and wisely.

5 Simple Ways to Beat Impulse Buying

1.Shopping ban

Create a 30 day list wherein you cannot buy a particular category, except necessities. I do this a lot with books. I force myself on a book buying ban. This helps me save, read what’s on my bookshelf, and only shop wisely.

It is a great way to control your shopping addiction, and you end up buying only the essentials. Also, this method helps you track every penny you spend which will surely make you a smart shopper. Books are emotional buys for me too so this strategy works best if you’re looking for an answer to- How do I stop emotional shopping?

2. Plan your purchases

It’s true that everything on that EOSS sale looks tempting. The new red dress, tan tote bag, amazing skincare combo and what not. But it is a fact that you don’t need it all. Plan your purchases so that you can control your expenditure.

If you’ve already gone shopping for dresses, then control the urge to shop those shoes. If you’ve already spent a bomb on your skincare, then maybe your make-up and books have to wait till the next buying cycle. Find out the psychological triggers that cause spending and work on them. Identify the trigger so that next time you’ll understand that’s it’s a trigger and you’ll be able to control your urge to shop.

3. Avoid sales

Avoid going to the malls during sales and even browsing the website during sales. I’m saying this after making a huge purchase online. But to my defence, I haven’t shopped in about two months and these skincare essentials were almost over.

Everyday there’s a new sale going on. And it is just a way to lure you. I know it is really hard to control the temptation. But be strong for that one moment and you’ll sail through. I have sailed enough times and only been happy about it. Just breathe and do not press the BUY NOW button- one of the best strategies for curing the urge to shop.

4. Sleep on it

The best way to control your urge to shop is to sleep on the idea. Put the item in your cart and think whether you actually need it, or is it just an impulse buy. Let a couple of days pass. If the item is so good that you cannot stop thinking about it, then you might as well buy it.

But most times, you’ll see that the fizz and excitement will die out and you’ll be able to make a wiser decision.

If you’re planning to shop for shoes in this sale season, follow these shoe shopping tips .

5. Try minimalism

Minimal living is the new mantra everyone is moving to. You don’t have to hoard items in your closet. Buy things that spark joy. So for this year my rule was to buy new make-up only when a particular item finishes. This way I tend to use all that I already have, there is less wastage, and I save up a lot of money.

Till now I’ve been quite successful in following these rules. Just a few exceptions, like last week when I was tempted to buy new lipsticks. But then I think that’s a little reward.

Do read our 6 ways to begin living a minimalist fashion lifestyle.

Before you buy ask yourself these questions:

• When will I use this?
• Do I have another one like this already?
• Why do I want to buy this?
• Can I wait to buy this?
• Are there better options available?
• Is there an alternative product that I already have and can use?

How to shop wisely or how to spend money wisely is easy. Always think of the hard work you put in or your parents put in or your spouse puts in and you’ll find it easy to stop impulse shopping.

My friends keep asking me- “How can we stop impulse shopping?” I share these tips with them and it has greatly helped.

You can also share this post with your shopaholic friends and cousins. And don’t forget to implement these tips yourself and tell us if you found them useful in the comments below. I have been very careful in jotting down these simple ways to beat impulse buying. These are tried and tested.

Also if you’re not following Tanya on Instagram, now is the time. She does a lot of stories, giveaways, and you don’t want to miss the fun.