3 Tips For Controlling Your Impulse Purchases

Everyone has vices here and there.  For many people their biggest vice is shopping.  It can become like a thrilling hunt trying to find the best deals.  Sometimes these deal hunters don’t even need the product that they have just purchased, but the excitement of getting a good deal overrides the logic.  Or perhaps you simply love the finer things in life and can’t resist things that catch your eye.

If you are one of these people you are not alone.  However, you may find that you are left with less money than you would like for things that are actually worth your money like rent, groceries, or utility bills.  In order to take control of your impulse purchases you first have to know where to start.  Here are some of the best tips for controlling your buying habits and ending the impulses.

Create a Budget

Creating a set of guidelines for your spending for the month is the most logical solution to making sure that you know where your money is going.  If you only allocate yourself a certain amount to extra purchases outside of your basic necessities then it becomes more difficult to make the purchase when you see you’re overspending your budget.

When the reality hits just how much you are spending it can start to eventually work its magic and limit your impulses. Try to stay as close to your budget as possible and if you start to overspend in one category make sure to deduct it from another. 

Eliminate Temptations

If you find that your biggest temptations come from visiting certain websites where you make the majority of your purchases or stores that you pass which frequently catch your eye, try to eliminate be tempted by these things.

This may mean removing the website from your bookmarks or changing your route to work.  Doing whatever it takes to remove the temptation from your daily life will ensure that you minimize the purchases and start putting this money away instead of spending it.

Surround Yourself With Frugal People

Sometimes the best way to be a better version of yourself is to surround yourself with people that inspire you to be so.  Try hanging out with people that aren’t careless with their money and take saving seriously.

If you surround yourself with friends that often spend their money as they like you may be tempted to do the same yourself.

So, make the choice of being around good influences rather than ones that encourage you to fall back into bad habits.  Sometimes this may be only temporary until you learn to control your spending habits. Only then can you start to expose yourself to old influences that no longer affect you.