Can impulse buying be prevented? How do we keep ourselves from the troubles caused by impulse buying? Read on to find six simple ways to avoid impulse buying.
- Do not carry around large amounts of cash. Bring only the amount that you need. You keep yourself from trouble because you only have X amount of dollars.
- Leave your credit cards behind. If you think you won’t need your credit cards, do not keep them in your wallet. It may feel good to be able to get what you want but it hurts to see more dollars disappear from your wallet because you pay credit cards bills plus interest.
- Make a budget and respect it. The budget is a tool to help you look at your expenses with reality. I choose the word respect because it is associated with discipline – discipline in spending and saving. And please, do not include impulse buying in your budget.
- Avoid going shopping with friends. When you go out with them, especially those who are also struggling with impulse buying, there is a great chance that you would succumb to peer pressure.
- Do not go shopping just to feel good. Emotional shopping is a bad habit. Shopping may provide temporary feelings of cheer, but the feeling of running after cash shortage or credit card bills is worse.
- If you can’t prevent going out for shopping, make a list of things to buy. The list is a guide for you to take what you should take and what you shouldn’t take.
Try any one these tips and you will find out that impulse buying can be overcome.