Impulse buying means buying items that you did not originally intend to purchase. Most often you find yourself falling prey to impulse buying when you are shopping for regular items. A freebie or a ‘big discount’ makes you throw caution to the winds and buy items that you do not actually need, inflating your monthly expenses.
Avoid Payments Using Credit Cards
Analysts, experts and even consumers admit that credit cards are often the culprits behind impulse buying. The easy access to funds that this piece of plastic provides lures you into indulging in such emotionally driven shopping even when you do not have enough cash in hand to cover the expense. Leaving your credit cards at home is a great way to curb impulse spending.
If you have too many credit cards, remember that maintaining each is quite an expensive affair by itself. With the exception of one of two credit cards, avoid renewing all your cards when they expire. Keep one credit card on your person for emergencies.
Cut Down Unnecessary Visits to Malls
Malls are often the places where you end up spending the maximum amount of money on items that never figured on your buy list. The fact that there are so many shops in one place offering a range of products, all displayed attractively, makes it very difficult to resist the temptation to buy. Confine your shopping to stores that do not carry luxury items or fashion items. For instance, if you need to shop for a toolbox, go to your local hardware store rather than a hardware outlet at the local mall. For grocery shopping, stick to your local grocer and not the food chain that has just opened in a super expensive mall.
Focus on the Product
Most impulse buying occurs because you are attracted by a seemingly ‘unbeatable’ offer that comes with the product, item or service being advertised. Whenever you want to make a purchase that does not figure on your buy list, focus on the product and not the advertisement. Is it the product that is attractive or the offer? Weigh the cost savings afforded by the freebies against the actual cost you will incur if you purchase the item. Chances are you will be able to get rid of the impulse real fast when you see that your purchase makes most sense and brings big profits only for the seller and not for you.
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