Earned Penny

I’m an incredibly impulsive person.  Carrie Fisher says it perfectly, “instant gratification takes too long.”

I get an idea in my head and I act without thinking it through. I come up with an idea of how to make money and try to run with it, without acknowledging that I have neither the skills or time to actually be successful with that idea.

I see a product advertised and buy into it quickly. I am enticed by the false promises of quick riches from lottery tickets and scratch offs. I find myself longing for a new household item, one which I can use in the kitchen to create lovely and cute desserts, even though I rarely have the time to cook.

I’m impulsive. There, I said it. This is a lot of the reason I find myself without money so often. I save a $20 here and there, then blow it here and there impulsively. At the grocery store, at the mall, at the gas station, online, etc. I’m impulsive and have a hard time holding on to my meager savings.

Learning to be less impulsive is difficult. But possible. I constantly struggle to become less impulsive and more responsible. Here’s a few ways I keep myself under control (at least, sometimes.)

1. Lists

Where ever I shop, I take a list with me and stick to my list. If I”m going to the drugstore for toiletries and miscellaneous items, I take my list. What do I really need? Deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toilet paper, and a box of crackers. I pull out my list as soon as I enter the store.

I avoid looking at anything in the store unless it is on my list. If I’m shopping for toilet paper, I go directly to the toilet paper aisle and avoid the magazine aisle. I do the same for each item on my list.

Once I’ve filled my basket with the items on my list, and only the items on my list, I go directly to the check out counter. I do not pass go, I do not collect $200. I simply force myself to go checkout. I do not allow myself to browse.

Once I make it to the check out counter, I avoid looking at the impulse shopper paradise that litters the check out area. I look directly at the cashier (without appearing creepy) and no where else. I stay focused. Check out, pay, and leave.

You’d be surprised what you can manage to do, or not do, when you carry a list.

2. Stay off of shopping websites.

Amazon, Ebay, and similar shopping sites are evil. They are there to tempt you. Avoid looking and you will avoid buying.

If you find yourself on one of these sites, and can’t resist the urge to add the item to your shopping cart, then do so. Add it to your cart or wish list. Once you do this, get off the computer immediately.

Go outside for a walk, go make some coffee and flip the channels on the television for a while, do anything that will remove you physically and mentally from your computer.

Often times, just taking the time to think it through will be enough to curb your impulses. I find that if I will simply get off the computer and do something else, I eventually come to my senses.

Simply going elsewhere online is not sufficient. Just switching from Amazon to Facebook will not work. If you are still at the computer, you will still be thinking about the item you found on Amazon that you must have. You are also allowing yourself to be too close to the item of impulse. Get away from the computer entirely and you will be able to disassociate with the impulse much easier.

3. Don’t carry around your extra cash.

Carrying around extra cash, that you don’t actually need, will only result in you spending it impulsively.

If you are going to the gas station to fill up your Prius, then only take the amount of cash you need to do this task. Putting $25 in the tank? Then don’t leave the house with more than $25 in your pocket. Purchase what you need and only what you need. Don’t let an extra $5 in your pocket be tempting.

4. Don’t carry credit cards.

I could go on and on about this one, but the principle is simple. Don’t carry money that you don’t have. Credit cards are money that you don’t have. Don’t bring them with you when you leave the house.

They are too tempting when you are strapped for cash. Need that new blockbuster movie but don’t have an extra $20 in your pocket? Then you don’t need to buy the movie. If you don’t have your credit card with you, then you won’t be able to buy this movie impulsively.

These are just a few tips for avoiding impulsive buys. Do they always work for me? No. But do they help? Absolutely. I’m still working toward becoming less impulsive, it’s a daily struggle. But it’s easier if I do these things. Maybe these tips can help you too.

And remember, that money you didn’t spend on an impulsive buy – put it into a savings account immediately. Get it out of your reach. Deposit it and forget it. You will be happy later that you did this.