How I've Been Controlling My Impulse Buying
If you’ve been following me on my debt-repayment and minimalist journey, then you know I’ve struggled in the past with impulse buying and simply saying “no” to myself. If your default setting is usually “I WANT IT NOW!” followed by “Adding To Cart” and “Worry About The Bill Later”, then I think this Impulse Buying tracker may be useful to you.
One of the biggest tools that I use daily when I practice mindful spending and intentional buying is DELAYING. Giving yourself a “cooling off” period from when you first notice “I want” is a great way to give yourself space and most importantly TIME to think about the purchase, consider why you may want something, and to critically evaluate whether or not this new thing fits into your life right now.
I created this “Stuff Wishlist” as a tool to track the items that spark some intrigue, and to give myself an opportunity to slow down and reflect on WHY I want something. I use it not only to track objective information, like retailer, brand and price, but I also use it as a type of journaling prompt to understand why I want something, if I can actually afford it, and to just give myself a chance to dig a little deeper before I add to cart.
Feel free to modify this as you wish. I keep this spreadsheet on my Google Drive so I can access it from anywhere (especially since we can now shop from anywhere!).
Let me know if this tool helps you spend a little more mindfully and if it helps reflect on any past or pending purchases you have made.
xx
Christina