Marketers know the appeal of the impulse purchase. They know that if we think about it, drive home, sleep, get up the next morning - by then it's too late.
Marketers have their job, of course. But our job is to keep the budget.
"Just this once" would be okay if the amount were small and it were truly just this once. But for most of us, it happens over and over, and those outlays do add up over time.
Probably everyone reading this knows what to do, but we struggle to resist the pull of the appeal of the moment.
So what to do? Here are some ideas:
1. Make a rule for yourself to pay with cash. There's something about pulling out the dollar bills that brings an impulse purchase into perspective.
2. Sleep on it. The light of day clarifies the emotional appeal of the night before.
3. Get a buddy. You could have a rule to call each other before an unplanned purchase. This one is hard but very effective if your friend is honest with you.
4. Use a shopping list and stick to it. Grocery stores are laid out in such a way as to encourage shopping you didn't plan on, especially if you have children with you.
5. Limit the advertisements you watch. This could be a topic on its own, but if you limit exposure to media for you and your family, it's easier to resist.
You may have other ideas, but mainly the motivation to avoid impulse buying has to be balanced with the potential benefit of seeing your balances grow in the future.
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