Do These And Never Make Another Impulse Buy.
Simple tips to not make a buy you will regret.
Living is getting more expensive, isn’t it? And it isn’t just in Africa.
Here in Africa, the cost of your evening purchase is more expensive than its morning purchase.
In Europe, America, and other places, people think hard about their retail therapy, takeouts, and door-dashing for meals.
Globally, we all want to spend less and have more liquid cash. Some are doing better than others.
If you are not doing so well, if you are struggling with cutting costs, I have good news for you- you can succeed at it.
Let us try to apply my tricks to whatever impulse purchase you are thinking of making right now, okay?
What is it- a designer purse? Let’s go with that. After reading this, let me know in the comments if you still want to make that buy!
Here are my tricks:
- Tricking the mind with time:
Here is that Designer purse that will break your bank. How soon do you want to buy it? Today, or at least this week?
The danger in jumping at one-time offers, discounts, and buy now or it is out of stock forever, is that there is pressure on you to BUY NOW.
Try this instead:
I will buy this bag- in 3 months.
Chances are, you will: forget about it, find a better option, or your thirst for that purse is quenched even before the three months arrive.
If you still buy it after the 3rd month, you have succeeded in delaying gratification, which is always a good move. Isn’t it?
- Give yourself purchase paralysis by flooding your eyes (and mind) with many different options.
Why not this one? Why is the Gucci small purse better than the Prada small purse?
Ohh, have you checked the Balenciaga option? What of the Fendi alternative?
Why must you buy one and not the other?
Learn to overwhelm your senses with options, and you will quickly realize that you are not so sure that the one that brought you, remains the best option out of all the others.
- Go for bad reviews
This is a cheap neat tip to sow doubts about the purchase.
Stay with that one buyer or ten buyers who had negative experiences with the purchase.
Do you want to be like them? Complaining after your purchase? If not, you’d better take a breather, then.
- I will buy it after I — — — — — -
This is more opportunity cost than delayed gratification. It can also be negotiating with yourself-
“If I can pay back double on my loan for the next three months, then I will buy this purse.”
“If I can lose 5kg, I will buy this expensive small black gown.”
- It is time to think about ‘minimalism’
“I’ve found that the less stuff I own, the less my stuff owns me,” — Nathan W. Morris
I love the breeziness of open spaces. I hate clutter, so I always remind myself that I don’t need more stuff. Do you have more? Why are you still not satisfied?
If you make impulse buys often, you will not appreciate it more. You may also need to understand why you are buying more.
Ask yourself if you are feeding into the demands of the gotta-have-it-right-now culture.
Also, research says you may be making purchases just to impress people:
“Many things a person buys, especially showy items such as clothing, accessories, vehicles, restaurants or club memberships, are symbolic of what he thinks is acceptable to a certain reference group such as his family, social circle, workplace, community or culture.”
You can learn to give away before you make a serious buy- that is another approach. “Before I buy this, I will give away this.”
This approach can help you think carefully about what you want to purchase.
- Compare your potential purchase with Oprah’s.
The mind hates comparisons, especially ones where we come off short.
One reason some people make an impulse purchase is that they see it on someone famous, and they want it.
The above statement is true according to research by Nielson:
“Conducted in 2015 which broke down the level of trust in advertising formats by different generations. It found that celebrity endorsements resonate more strongly with Generation Z (ages 15–20) and Millennial (ages 21–34) audiences.”
Question: do you have the spending power of Oprah?
If Rihanna wore it, can you rock it like her?
Do they even buy their clothes, or are they given them to be shown off?
Why the competition?
- Move things around.
I have found that sometimes, you really just need to move things around- literally.
Oh, a table will be just right for this space.
What about taking something that you already have and moving it into that space, if you cannot abide an open space?
- Rearrange your wardrobe
- Rearrange the layout of your room. Give the space a new look at no cost.
These tricks have greatly helped me resist the urge to make many regretful buys, and if you are still struggling with it, don’t knock it until you have tried them.
You will be saving yourself from regrets.
Thank you for reading. Buy me coffee?
