The tricky thing about avoiding impulse buys is that it’s not the stuff that’s the problem—it’s our brains. When we’re feeling sad, stressed, or even bored, our brain searches for happiness. And from childhood, we learn that getting something new (a toy, candy, or some other reward) makes us happy—at least, for a little while.
But that immediate sense of happiness doesn’t last. If you buy something on a whim without thinking through whether you really want to spend your money on it, you can end up with buyer’s remorse (and often a headache-inducing return process, if you can even return the item). Instead of giving in to the urge to get something fun and new, resist impulse buying by instituting a cooling-off period whenever you want to make a purchase you haven’t already planned.
There are a few ways you can do this. One option is to make a wish list of all the items you want. Maybe it’s a new pair of boots, the new book by your favorite author, or those earrings you saw in a boutique window. Then wait a week. Revisit your list and see if you feel as excited about the items on it as you did when you first wrote them down. Don’t check the price to see if the item went on sale—just revisit your gut reaction. If you still want the item, go ahead and get it if your budget allows. But if your interest has waned, it’s a sign it just isn’t worth your money.