The Impulse ShopperI’m sure we all have some of those things lying around that we just had to have. This is the stuff yard sales are made of. There are several ways to help you if you are an impulse shopper. If this is chronic with you and you find yourself pulling out your credit card all of the time, then you need to get rid of that card. This will be painful but it could stop your problem and you really don’t need that card anyway. Regardless of how you are paying for your unnecessary purchases there are a couple of ways to stop them. Each of these ways involves delaying the purchase. The method that has proven successful for me is to not buy anything the first time that I see it. I will look at the item and then think about whether or not I really need it over the coming days or weeks. Generally when I go to a store I know what I am going to get and I go and get it. The purchase has been thought out ahead of time. This works well for me but I am naturally a little tight with money, I was not an impulse shopper. Author Mary Hunt, in her book ”Debt Proof Living”, tells of another way to curb these spending impulses. Many people have a problem with mail order catalogs. The catalogs make everything look so appealing. Her solution to this problem is to go ahead and fill out the order form and then put it in a drawer. If after seven days you still need that item then you can order it. Never order something the first time you see it in the catalog. She states that when she went to put another order form for another much needed item into the drawer she started finding old order forms for have to have items in them that she had forgot about. Larry Burkett gives another way of stopping impulse shopping in his book ”The World's Easiest Guide To Finances”. He calls it the 48-hour rule. It is simply to wait at least 48 hours after you first think you need something before you purchase it. Another tip that I have read is to get three prices for whatever item it is that you have to have. Once you get three prices then you can purchase the item at the lowest price. The beauty is that it takes time to get three prices and you will often forget about your must have item. Home shopping networks are also very popular these days. The people on these shows are experts at convincing you that you need that new gadget. The ticking clock does wonders to our psychology as it counts down our opportunity to get that brand new widget for the never before offered low price and the free set of steak knives. The best way to save money with the home shopping networks is to not turn them on in the first place. If you can’t resist turning them on then the next best method would be to not buy anything the first time you see it. Surely it will be offered again there or someplace else and probably with an even lower price or an extra steak knife. All of these tactics have the same common thread and that is to delay the purchase. Most times these urgent needs are not needs at all. If you are an impulse shopper give one of these methods a try, I’m sure you can reduce your spending.
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