“It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I regret ever buying it” Jane lamented to her friend as she looked at the just delivered bag of wigs on her bed.
Of course, Jane isn’t the only person to buy something she hadn’t planned on, only to regret it later. While ‘retail therapy’ might make you feel good at the moment, it can wreak havoc on your financial life if care isn’t taken.
Here are ways to build healthier money habits to keep impulse spending at bay.
Follow a Mandatory Waiting Period
In addition to the Golden Rule – always make a shopping list before heading out to the store, try to establish a “mandatory waiting period.”
Wait at least 48 hours after you see an item in the store. It has been established that most people who try this rarely go back to buy the item after the cooling-off period.
If shopping online, leave the items in your cart, and physically get away from your phone or laptop. If you still want it and can see how it would fit into your life after 48 hours, then you can see how it would fit in your budget.
Be Clear About Your Budget
Have a clear budget and review it every month. Creating a budget you will stick to will help hold you accountable when you have the urge to shop.
Set up direct deposits so part of your paycheck goes straight to your savings account. This way, you don’t even have enough money to spend on things outside your budget.
Another way out is setting up a sinking fund that you can add some money to each month to help offset some of the costs from impulse buying. This gives you some wiggle room for impulse buys without completely ruining your budget.
Make It Harder To Shop
When you have access to shopping 24/7 and from the comfort of your home, it becomes more difficult to control impulsive spending habits.
Make it harder to impulse buy by setting up some obstacles or checkpoints for yourself so you can be more mindful when you do shop. One way is to delete shopping apps from your phone so you have to go to the store website.
Another way to do this is by paying with cash rather than using a debit/credit card. Numerous studies have shown that when people pay in cash, they spend less because psychologically it’s harder to part with cold hard cash.
Find Support And Accountability Partners
Finding support and accountability can go a long way to help you curb impulsive spending. Get an accountability partner that you check in with once a month. These monthly check-ins are where you share your progress and get feedback/support.
Having a financial counselor or advisor can also help maintain a healthy financial lifestyle and help you manage impulse buying.
Take Investments More Seriously
With a rewarding plan like the Rosabon Treasury Note – RTN, you are not only curbing excessive and impulsive spending, you are also building your investment portfolio.
RTN is a flexible tensor-based account that allows you to determine your deposit, tenor of the investment plan, and form of payment.
With this plan, individuals and businesses that are tired of meager interest on their regular business and/or savings account can now enjoy mouthwatering interest rates. Visit www.rosabon-finance.com/treasury-note to earn up to 16% on your funds.
