Impulse Buying Is Fun! Here’s Why You Should Stop

Impulse Buying –  Are You A Victim?

You’re passing by a shop and you see something nice. Do you buy it?

Many people do.

Marketers use impulse buying psychology by placing small treats next to where you’re standing in line, queuing to pay for your purchases at the supermarket.

It’s the psychology behind having shopping malls everywhere – and constant advertising. They convince you that it’s perfectly OK to spend your spare time idly window-shopping (instead of doing something productive or truly enjoyable).

You’re told that you’ll be happy when you buy X new gadget or item – but of course, study after study shows that the happiness is very temporary. (And then someone else will have The Latest and so you’re unhappy again).

Impulse buying rarely has to do with actual needs — it’s often just an emotional coping mechanism. Who hasn’t tried to push away gloomy thoughts with a pair of gorgeous shoes that you’ve never worn in 5 years?

Everything you’ve ever purchased required some horrible combination of fossil fuels, water, and marketing to find its way into your home.

But stopping impulse buying is GREAT for your emotional health, your credit card bill, your closet and storage space, your clutter, and the war against the capitalism that’s killing the planet.

Here’s how to stop – or at least reduce impulse buying.

5 Steps To Stop (or Reduce) Impulse Buying

1. Ask why most impulse buying happens: As a general rule, we impulse buy in order to distract ourselves from a problem, avoid some responsibility, give ourselves a quick mood boost – or simply “keep up with the Joneses” – clever marketing that tells us we need to have everything everyone else has – and preferably bigger.
2. Before you buy anything, ask yourself these 6 questions: Why am I here? How do I feel? Do I need this? How will I pay for it? Where will I put it? What if I wait?
3. Wait: What if you do put off the purchase? Think about it — and try it! After 24 hours, see if you still want That Thing.
4. Be aware of the cart trick: The internet and online shopping was the best thing to ever happen to marketers and sellers. When you buy something online, you are completely removed from the whole process. You see something nice, you want it, you add it to your “cart” that you never touch or see, and you use a credit card that you’ve saved in your browser so you don’t have to actually touch your wallet. It’s really like the purchase doesn’t even happen! There is no pain. (Until you get your credit card bill). An easy solution is to never store your credit card information online. It’s safer and more secure not to have it on someone’s database permanently anyway. And it’s a hassle to fill in the details when you want to buy something. It should make you think twice before buying.
5. Carry cash: As much as possible, carry actual money if you’re going somewhere that might be an impulse shopping danger zone. The more transactions you make with cash, the more aware you are of the actual cost of your purchasing habits.

Conclusion

Making buying so easy is great for marketers and lousy for our bank balances and the planet. Be aware of what’s happening when you’re tempted to buy something on impulse. It won’t make you happy.

It’s the people in your life who really count. The people who care about you and look after you when you’re ill or feeling down.  Spend time nurturing real relationships (not social media falseness). And recognize that the latest gadget won’t help you when the water is polluted and the air is full of smog. We pollute our planet to make yet more “stuff” – and for what?

“What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” ― Henry David Thoreau.

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Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.

Related:

• 10 ways  to be happier at home!
• Get rid of all the toxic products in your life (you’ll be shocked at where they hide!). It’s easy – see how here!