I don’t recommend shopping as a hobby or an activity to waste time. It can be so easy to just head out to the mall, walk down a strip of storefronts, or go online and start looking for things to buy. Things you don’t really need, but will probably buy out of impulse or even just boredom. We all do it. Sometimes we intentionally look for things to buy. Sometimes we just happen to walk by a cool shirt or fancy new gadget and… BOOM. WANT THAT! However, this isn’t good for our finances, especially if we’re trying to work on debt management. Here’s one way to help curb impulse spending to keep your budget intact.
Follow our credit counseling advice to avoid impulse spending.
It’s the 10-second rule. Stand there and look at your “must-have” item for 10 seconds. Take that time to really think about why you want it, and if you need it. If you can’t come up with a good reason in that time, then walk away. You can keep thinking about it, and you might even go back and make the purchase. That’s okay as long as you’ve thought about it and decided it was a good purchase. Maybe you take more time and do some research. You could find a better deal elsewhere, or find a coupon. Maybe you forget about it altogether. That’s when you really know it would’ve been a bad purchase.
This is what time buys you. When you avoid impulse spending, you find ways to save money. The 10-second rule can help you save money and avoid impulse spending by using your logic.
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
