Impulse buying is a slippery slope because it can both quickly and easily lead to over-consumption. It is a euphemism for a “shopping addiction” in today’s culture.
The following are ways to avoid impulse shopping
Do not go when hungry
Whether it is grocery shopping, clothes shopping, or even detergent shopping, if you go when you are hungry, you are far more likely to spend more. This is especially true when grocery shopping. Instead of buying practical items, you will use, you will end up buying everything that looks good, that is fast, easy, and usually expensive. So, eat before you shop.
Do not go when tired
Generally, if you shop when tired, you are less picky about your choices and more likely to make up for this with quantity. You want to hurry and get out of the store or get off your feet, so even if something is not exactly right, you will be adding it to your cart just to get through shopping faster. This means you will buy things on impulse instead of thinking through your decisions.
Do not go when stressed
If you are stressed out, you may cope with the stress by over-buying. This is a typical problem, especially for women. Stress leads to impulse shopping, so when you are stressed, find a different outlet, cook something, clean something, take a nap.do not shop! If you are tired how about using a foot peel and spoiling yourself that way instead of shopping?
Do not go when depressed
Just like when you are stressed, impulse shopping becomes an outlet for depression. Buying things may lift your mood temporarily, but then looking at your credit card statements and realizing you overspent will send you right back into a depression. Often times when you are depressed, you will think that you deserve more, that it will cheer you up, so you impulse shop and overspend. When you are feeling blue, do not go to the mall, take a nap, read a book, sing a song, call a friend, or cook something, do not go out.
Go with a list
If you shop with a strict list, you will not stray from it and impulse shop as much. So, whether it is grocery shopping, back to school shopping, or even just for fun shopping, make a list of specific things you will buy. Know where they are in the store, and avoid browsing as you will inevitably find a deal too good to pass up or an item “you have to have.”
Go with a plan
When you go shopping, if you want to avoid impulse shopping, go with a plan. Determine what stores you need to visit, what time you will do so, and when you will return home. Going with no plan inevitably means spending more time than you should in the store, and it means buying items you should not buy.
It is all too easy to impulse buy things like outdoor furniture from the middle aisle of Aldi because you have no plan and are easily tempted!
Go where you plan
If you are going to the mall to get a baby shower gift from Baby Gap, do not even walk into Bed Bath and Beyond. If you do, you are sure to buy something you did not intend to purchase, and you are sure to do some impulse shopping. Go where you plan, and the likelihood decreases.
Take cash
When you shop, take cash with you so that you can’t overspend. If you leave the cards at home and have a limited amount of cash, it becomes increasingly difficult to impulse shop, and if you do, your impulses are at least somewhat limited.
It is not impossible to avoid impulse shopping; it just takes a certain degree of self-control. So, find better outlets than shopping for your frustrations, and go with a plan, and you will likely succeed in at the very least cutting back on impulse shopping. Then you can save for whatever you want whether that be a holiday or botox!
