How to Stop Making Impulse Purchases That You Can't Afford: An Effective Practice

01.08.2024 14:42

Nowadays, many people claim that buying expensive things is an expression of self-love.

In fact, this is a misconception - such behavior, on the contrary, indicates a lack of self-care: if you spend too much money and then face a lack of funds, debts and loans, you thereby condemn yourself to constant discomfort.

Thus, impulse shopping is not an expression of self-love, but a desperate attempt to cope with internal pain.

As a result, addiction occurs. If you feel that it is beginning to take hold of you, try the technique described below. Do not put it off for later, but use it during your first shopping trip.

Determine the cause

The first thing you need to do is determine why you are shopping.

Money
Photo: © Belnovosti

To do this, you need to learn to observe yourself while shopping, so that you can stop and ask yourself at the moment: “What and why am I doing/feeling now?”

As mentioned earlier, buying can be a way to cope with pain that is hiding another feeling underneath – for example, sadness, fear or shame. Your job is to figure out what that feeling is.

Bonuses and prices

Now that you've managed to catch yourself, it's time for the next question: "What will change in my life if I buy this now?"

As a result, you will be able to find out what pros and cons your next purchase brings.

Even if the purchase has already been made, ask yourself: “What has changed in my life after this purchase?”

The answers you receive are excellent ground for reflection. When you manage to understand from what states purchases are made, you will be able to eliminate the main reason – independently or with the help of a specialist.

Elena Shimanovskaya Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Editor of Internet resources


Content
  1. Determine the cause
  2. Bonuses and prices