At times in our life, we all have been there!
You are in the mall to buy some important stuff, and suddenly you see something and cannot refrain yourself from buying it. Ignoring your budget and needs, you buy that specific item and are now thrilled to get back to home and try it? This is what makes you an impulsive buyer.
What is impulse buying?
As said by experts, impulse buying is purchasing any product that you may not need it, or pocket cannot afford it. This product can be candy or a shirt or handbag for sale. It can also be gadgets that amuse you, and you do not need or is out of your budget, but you buy it on impulse, just because you liked it so much.
As there are several types of impulse purchases, all of these are centered on the exposure of customer to stimuli in the shopping areas. There are times when a specific personal experience emotional changes as stress or happiness that is triggered by marketing materials displayed in the markets to pay for any product or service that caters to their specific emotional situations. An impulsive buyer does not consider the near future consequences of the buying. This unplanned decision of making a purchase is known as impulse buying, and the person who tends to make such an arrangement is referred to impulse buying.
If you are impulse buyers, here are few tips to help you control the issue and stick to your financial plans properly;
1. Create monthly purchase list and stick to it:
You must make a list of things that you will need over the month. Make sure this list contains the necessities. To make a budget, you must stick to your needs like toiletries, grocery, fuel, utility bills, etc. make sure that you are not spending more than that,make yourself stick to budget religiously.
2. Avoid going to shopping areas if you do not need to buy anything:
The impulse to buy is boosted when you are in the shopping area or if you are visiting an online store. So the best thing to prevent the urge of purchasing something is by not going to a shopping place at all. Do not go to Hyper Stores or any other shopping area if not needed. For your small needs, try to visit the departmental store in your area and always go with a to-do list. No matter what, do not buy anything that is not mentioned in the list.
Once you are done with buying what you need, get out of the store as soon as possible. The idea of window shopping or roaming around for entertainment can end up disturbing your budget and taking home much stuff that you do not need at all. Better would be to find other ways to have fun. The equation implies various types of online stores as well. Even on your social media profiles like Facebook where you might have liked pages that offer different stuff that may amuse you. Visiting such pages can be a bad idea if your earning does not support extra expenditure stick to your budget.
3. Limit your credit card use (try to pay most with cash)
A credit card is undoubtedly a good thing to have, but only if you are wise enough to use it with responsibility. If you find it tough to use the credit card, a better option would be to quit using it. If permanent cut-off from credit card is not a good option for you, you may think of freezing it. Alternatively, do not carry your credit card with you while you are out for shopping. Keep it away from your reach and do not write credit card number anywhere. In such case, if ever you wished to use your credit card, you have to unfreeze it or get back to your home and take it out of your drawer before you make a purchase. For all of this, you will have to wait, and this wait may lead to stopping you from buying anything all of a sudden.
4. Avoid the buying temptation
There is a big difference between needs and temptations. Never consider shopping as a mean of time pass or a hobby. Surrounding yourself with the lure of things will drag you to the urge of buying things that you do not need. Instead, try to find some other activities that can amuse you and keep you engaged and entertained for long. As I like to read books traveling at the same time but considering my budget, I prefer to stick to learning more and more books rather than planning trips around.
5. The Difference Between the need to buy and Nice to Buy:
Both are two entirely different things. Please make it a habit of monitoring your needs. Keep a small note paper or book with you all the time. Whenever you have an urge to buy something, tally with the notes to ensure if you need what you wish to purchase or not. This practice will soon make you care about the urges which most of the time are something that we don’t even notice. Having a clear goal in your mind is helpful in the matter. It may also involve the fact that what you need to do in your life? What are your financial goals and what is required to accomplish those goals? It is also essential to keep your goals for saving in your mind while making any purchase or having an urge to buy anything.
