Have you ever noticed that impulse buys (like candy) are usually at the front of the store? Retail store spend lots of money studying human shopping behavior in order to lay out the store optimally so that you buy more and spend more money.
However, if you're on a budget, you don't want to blow it with impulse buys but how do you resist the temptation? Check out these 6 tips to resist impulse buys:
Shop with a list {and stick to it}
Get into the habit of making a shopping list each time before you even step foot into a store. Then, you need to resolve that you'll stick to the list. Only buy those things you need that are on that list.
Don't shop when you're...{hungry, angry, upset, etc}
Try to avoid shopping when you're at your weakest for making an impulse buy. You are upset, so you might tell yourself that shopping will make you feel better.
Shop less Often
Every time you step into a store, you're tempted to make an impulse purchase. So, the less you shop, the less you're tempted. Make a large list and shop for longer periods of time (at least a week or longer for groceries). You'll need to have a meal plan and grocery list, but it can be done.
Pay with Cash
If you're paying for your purchase in cash (and you only have a certain amount to spend), it's a lot more difficult to make an impulse buy since you might not have enough cash on hand. Resist the impulse to just pay for your purchase with your debit or credit card to cover it.
Remember your Goals
Keep what you're saving for at the top of your mind. For example, if you're saving for a vacation, picture yourself having fun on vacation and decide if the impulse purchase is better than your goal.
Think about it for 24 hours
If you're tempted to make a purchase (whether large or small) that you've not budgeted for and that's not on your list, don't buy it. Head home and think about it for 24 hours (or longer for bigger purchases). Often after a day of waiting, the pull of the product has passed, and you find that you really can do without it after all.
Rhonda Albom
Great tips for me, the ultimate impulse shopper. My list is useless. At least it is the sales that generally call to me when grocery shopping. And with a restricted diet, I find myself buying all sorts of impulse things for my teens. Maybe I will give a few of these tips a try and watch my food bills go down 🙂