The Trap Of Impulse Buying - Tips To Take Control

Have you ever walked into a shop with the mind of buying an item but end up buying more items?

Or have you bought something randomly and regret buying it later?

That's impulse buying and if there's anyone perfect to write about this right now, that would be me. Why? I got home with an item I bought and I wish I didn't but it's too late so I have to face the regret and move on. Mind you! I was very excited when I bought it, I thought I needed it but it turned out to be just another impulse buying that went wrong.

I think I've once written that there are impulse buying that turn out to be good later but from all my experiences buying on an impulse, there are more regrets than good outcome in this habit. And so, I thought it wise to share some tips that have turn out to help me in curbing this habit.

Before finding a control to something, we must acknowledge and be sure of what we are doing... Do you have the habit of impulse buying? Do you fall for it's traps?

Hints To Know You Have The Impulse Buying Habit.

I actually had to check these hints out from my research as I was on a quest to put an end to it. Truth is, you can not do away with impulse buying totally but taking full control of this habit is a step anyone should take for a healthy financial journey. How you know you have this habit are quite simple and I'll share them in a few sentences.

• Confusing "wants" and "needs." - You feel you need something when actually you don't, impulse buying trap makes you confuse on what your needs and wants.
• Falling for Advertising. - There are sweet talkers in many shops and the fear of missing out on a good item will get you into an impulse buy.
• Believing in quick fixes and convenience - You want to get something done and fast, you feel it's convenient to and it's cheaper but not quality, you impulse buy.

There is also the brain and emotion effects in why we buy on impulse but these can be put to check to help control the habit of impulse buying. For the most important part of why I decided to share this post, how to take control and not fall for impulse buying.

We all agree that having this habit will have wether little or huge impact on our finance goals and so it's important that we keep it in check, here are four tips I've been trying to keep up with that has helped me to an extent.

Four Practical Tips To Take Control Of Impulse Buying.

Know your triggers - I've shared a few ways you'd know if you impulse buy and why you do, it's a first step to know what causes you to impulse buy most times. For some, they tend to impulse buy when they are stressed or feeling emotionally down. Instead of going for shopping where you may buy unnecessary things, how about choosing other means to feel better?

Make a list - This one has helped me a lot, I prepare a list of what I really need and sometimes I even set budget for each item at the amount I may buy them putting inflation in mind. It's a very practical tip anyone can try out to curb the habit. Make a list of only what you need, if possible, take along only the money you need to get those things.

Wait it out - This one is actually an immediate mind exercise when see something you think you need (something you need to buy). It's advisable you wait it out, pause for as long as you can to be sure you really need what you're about to buy. Especially for online shopping, waiting for hours before you decide if to buy or not is a good practice.

Shop alone - For someone who always prefers to shop with someone, this one is a bit hard but we would agree that shopping alone actually minimizes how we spend on impulse buying sometimes. But I'll say here that, whatever works better for you to take control of impulse buying is what you should do. Do you do less impulse buying when you shop alone or when you shop with someone? Find out and stick with the one that works fine for you.

I'll stop here and look forward to your contribution or comments on these tips I've shared, would they help you or you have better ways to take control?

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