Don't Be Tempted: How to Avoid Impulse Purchases
Shops know what people are like. They know that when we're about to pay for our shopping, we're easily tempted by those products next to the checkout.
Whether it's a sweet snack or a good offer, they're there to tempt us into making an "impulse purchase."
Most of us have made an impulse purchase. This is something you buy without planning to — just because you feel like doing it at that moment.
A lot of the time, these purchases aren't a big problem. But if we do it a lot, it can mean we're spending more money than we want to — buying things we don't need or eating too many snacks that aren't good for us.
So how can you avoid making those impulse purchases?
If you're in a supermarket, CNBC suggests you make a shopping list and try your best to stick to it. It might also help if you've been making a budget at home to see where your money is going.
If you're in another type of shop or shopping online, you might try something called the "24-hour rule." This means you stop what you're doing and take a day to think before you buy something.
Money website Bankrate says you could use this time to think about whether you really want that product, read reviews and look at prices of similar products.
Budgeting website Ramsey Solutions also suggests that you don't go shopping when you're "feeling emotional." That way, you're less likely to buy something you don't need either to reward yourself after a good day or make yourself feel better after a bad day.
The same website adds that shopping with cash can be a good idea. Only take with you the amount of cash you need, so you can't make impulse purchases at all!
