How to Stop Impulse Buying: Top Tips

There’s a lot of money saving help out there, especially when it comes to knowing how to stop impulse buying. Impulse buying is something that a lot of people struggle with; it can delay your financial goals, prevent you from saving and lead to unnecessary clutter at home. By understanding the triggers of impulse buying and implementing effective strategies to combat it, you can break the habit and make more intentional purchasing decisions.

Tips and Tricks for How to Stop Impulse Buying

• Understand What Triggers You – One of the key things to remember when you’re learning how to stop impulse buying is that triggers can differ from person to person. Many people shop to cope with emotions such as stress, boredom or sadness. Being able to recognise when you’re feeling emotional is key, as is finding healthier ways to manage these feelings.
• Stick to Your Budget – Creating a budget is at the top of any money saving help ‘to do’ list. A budget helps you to track your spending and prioritise your financial goals. It’s a good idea to set spending limits, and allocate a specific amount of money for spending each month. Once you have spent your allocated amount for spending, you’ll need to say no to other purchases for the rest of the month.
• Make a Shopping List – There’s nothing quite as tempting as adding little treats to your basket when you’re shopping, but these little treats quickly add up. To ensure that you stay on track, write a shopping list. Before shopping, make a list of what you need and stick to it. Decide which are items that you need and which are those that you want, and focus on buying the necessities first.
• Delay a Purchase – A lot of people seek out instant gratification, which spurs on impulse buying. You can stop impulse buying by delaying your purchase. For example, you could wait at least 24 hours before buying something that wasn’t on your list. This gives you time to reconsider and determine if you really need the item. For more expensive items, consider waiting a week before making a decision.
• Use Cash Instead of Card – Though we are slowly moving towards a cashless society, using cash wherever possible can help you to stop impulse buying. Paying with cash can make you more aware of your spending, which can reduce the likelihood of impulse purchases. Physically seeing the money leave your purse or wallet can make you more conscious of your spending.
• Find Another Focus – For a lot of people, shopping is a hobby and a habit, so consider replacing it with another activity. Focus on hobbies that don’t involve spending money, such as reading, hiking or crafting. Spend time with friends and family doing activities that don’t revolve around shopping. Having something else to focus on will distract you from wanting to make an impulse purchase.

The temptation to shop can be overwhelming, but knowing how to stop impulse buying is a key part of sticking to a budget. Instead of buying something the moment you see it, take some time to consider whether it’s really worth spending the money on.