Follow These 5 Key Steps to Stop Your Next Impulse Buy In Its Tracks
For most of my adult life, I’ve struggled with impulse buying and emotional spending. I was a full-blown shopaholic in over $120,000 of debt, constantly stressing about money, but always looking to relieve that stress by shopping even more. I knew something needed to change, and I figured extreme problems like mine would require extreme solutions. So I did things like shopping detoxes, and No Buy Challenges and practiced extreme minimalism to try to make up for my years of money mistakes.
Yes, I was spending less, saving more. . . and I even paid off my debts! But after a while of living this way, even a “frivolous” expense like a latte would end up sending me into a shame spiral. I often found myself yo-yo’ing between impulsive overconsumption and extreme frugality and I still ended up feeling stuck despite the progress I made. That’s when it really hit me: restriction is not the same as healing. What I truly needed was balance (my version of balance is called “Minimalist-ish®” but that’s for another blog post…).
So in this blog post, that’s the angle we’re taking to help curb your impulse spending. We’re doing it with balance. Because I’m actually not against shopping at all, but if you want to develop a better relationship with what you buy, then it’s important to understand the why behind it. When you can understand this and start to recognize your patterns, then you’ll be able to slow things down to avoid the purchases you regret, and feel great about the ones you truly want!
1. Where is the urge to spend coming from?
Impulse buys happen. Whether it’s a cute top that feels like a steal at the thrift store or something you saw on TikTok you just had to try. . . we’ve all been there. We’ve all felt the buyer’s remorse after too. But there’s a hidden opportunity in those impulse buys. What if before you add to cart, you paused to ask “Why?”
I realized my impulse buying was both a symptom of my anxiety and a coping mechanism to try to deal with it. But all this left me with was:
A constant sense of chaos and overwhelm by too much stuff
Financial stress and guilt
That familiar shame spiral that sounds like “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!” followed by “You shouldn’t be doing this...” and then, you know... doing it anyway
A powerful first step? Stop and take notice. Ask yourself: What emotion am I trying to soothe here? What am I avoiding? Can I wait? My Minimalist-ish Journal: Buy Less, Live Better & Find Joy in What You Already Have includes a ton of great prompts, mind maps, and reflections to help you uncover this. I designed it to be your mindful spending support system.
2. Set Boundaries Around Why, When and How You Shop
Let’s be real: you’re going to shop sometimes. And that’s okay. I prefer that you do it with a sense of control and balance over your decisions, rather than them feeling like a chaotic chase for another hit of cheap dopamine. To do this, you need to set some boundaries (boundaries you trust you’ll actually stick to!). These are some of my favorites that you can try:
Wait 72 hours before buying -- put it on a Wishlist instead!
Set a “Worry-Free” Budget — for example, “If it’s under $20, I don’t need to overthink it.” There’s a difference between impulse buying a pack of gum vs. yet another pair of boots that you JUST saw on that influencer
No shopping allowed on your phone
No shopping in the evenings
Shopping only in person - I love this one because it means you have to make plans ahead of time to go, which makes it a more intentional act from the start. You also get to touch, feel, and try on the item in person, which usually helps you realize you may not even want it. If you’re primarily an online shopper, this is a game changer.
Being able to pay for it 100% in full - no payment plans or credit card payments
The key to shopping more mindfully and stopping those impulse buys in their tracks is to slow down the wanting from the buying. What boundaries can you implement to do this?
3. Use What You Already Have
The most underrated tool for curbing overconsumption and saving money is so simple that it’s kind of embarrassing how often we forget to do this. Use your stuff!
It’s so easy to forget about all the awesome things we already own because we always seem to think that newer is better. Friendly reminder: you bought what you have for a reason! See if you can reconnect with them. Here are some ways you can do it:
Feeling spendy for a new outfit? Try shopping your closet. Re-create your inspo outfit using your own clothes — you can see exactly how I do that in this video on YouTube!
Want to buy that new blush? Check to see if you already own a similar shade. Don’t forget that makeup expires, and honestly there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing up a product!
Honor your past self’s choices and commit to making use of what you already own. If you need more help with this mindset, it’s exactly Why I wrote The Minimalist-ish Journal: Buy Less, Live Better and Find Joy in What You Already Have. When you build gratitude for the things you already own, that new thing might not feel so tempting. My journal will help you dig into those mindsets to change your habits around this!
4. Keep a Wishlist
Impulse buying thrives on instant gratification. The Want → Buy Cycle happens so fast you barely have time to think about what just happened (and how much you spent!).
Here’s the hack: write it down on a Wishlist.
I keep mine in my Minimalist-ish Journal. Others use a Pinterest board or simply keep a list on their phone. The method doesn’t matter here, but what does matter is that you’re creating some separation between the Want and the Buy.
I can’t tell you how often I’d put something new on my Wishlist, only to have completely forgotten about half the things I wrote down! Give yourself space to forget about the item by placing it down on your Wishlist. And if you still can’t stop thinking about it? Great! Now you can make your plan to buy it in a way that actually feels good.
5. Change The Way You See Yourself
You know, I can give you all the tips and tricks on how to spend more mindfully, how to declutter your life, shop less, and change your habits. . . but that’s not going to mean anything if you still always see yourself as a hopeless “Impulse Buyer”, “Spender” or “Shopaholic”.
Ouch, I know. It’s a hard pill to swallow. But real and lasting habit change comes from how we see ourselves. It comes from your identity.
Your habits will NEVER stick if you don’t believe that you’re the type of person who waits before they buy something. Or that you’re the type of person who values quality over quantity, or you’re the type of person who uses what they have first before buying new. . .
So how do you change this? Begin with the end result in mind. If you want to become a more intentional buyer, ask “What does a person who shops mindfully do?” or “What does a person who’s confident with money do?”
Your actions need to match the identity of the person you want to be. If you find yourself struggling with a limiting or negative self-identity, change the type of person you believe you are.
If you skip this critical step, you’ll likely find yourself always falling back into your old ways. Which we usually end up using as our excuse to stay the same. “Oh, I racked up another $500 bill at Target? Well, I’m just a shopaholic. . . I guess that’s just what I do.” Sound familiar?
So think about the actions, qualities, and values that your ideal person has and start acting like that person. It will give you a roadmap to becoming them. With time, you’ll eventually start to see yourself in this new way and believe you are that type of person. This is where the real and last change comes from.
Want to go deeper?
My Minimalist-ish Journal is filled with supportive prompts, reflections, and customizable space to reconnect with what really matters to you. It’s the perfect companion if you’re craving less chaos, and more clarity, and want to unlock what balanced spending truly looks like to you. It’s available now anywhere you buy your books like Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Chapters Indigo, Amazon, and more. Grab it here and get started!
If this post resonated with you, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend or on social media. You can tag me on Instagram @christina.mychas and check me out on YouTube! I always love seeing what lands with you.
Til next time,
xx Christina