Amen to this. So many can't seem to grasp the notion of self-denial. “One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
When you go out anywhere just bring the right amount of cash for the date, like for dinner and movie for two. Don't bring your credit card or debit cards. Stop looking around and go to malls with a specific purpose.
When we are short on money it's easy to resist, even if we aren't though we always have something to aim for, so just keep that in mind and don't spend money on nonsense.
Lucky for me, I don't have that urge to impulse buy every time I see something I like. In fact, most of the time, I plan what exactly I will buy in advance. However, I set aside a low budget for 'unexpected costs' since It is really hard to avoid them.
I don't usually resist impulse buying. If I want something, and I have the money I will buy it usually. Once in a while though I can convince myself to wait for a sale on the item. I mean you never know what stores have until you go shopping right? It is hard to resist impulse
To resist impulse buying, when you go out to work or wherever you are going, don't bring cash or credit cards with you. If you are going to work, bring your lunch and snacks, bring your bottle of water or whatever is your drink of choice, and leave the paper and plastic at the house. If you do not have the means to impulse buy, then there will be no way of impulse buying. If you are going out on a specific task, such as grocery shopping or shopping for new shoes, bring enough cash to pay for your purchase, and that is all. Make your grocery list and bring cash. If your order goes over the amount of cash you have, then you are going to have to put some items back. If you want new shoes, bring enough cash for the shoes. This will eliminate the desire to buy that second pair because you will not have the money on you to buy the second pair. Leave the money at home or in the bank and watch how fast the account grows.
Generally I convince myself to be dead broke when I enter in some shop or something and this works in order to keep me away from expensive things
Budgeting is a good starting place, it doesn't always help with your decision making process, but it helps with your intentions. It's also really important to know yourself well enough to not let yourself become the victim of an impulse buy. My weaknesses are typically technology and baked goods. It's easier for me to walk away from a technological buy. I like comparing prices before I buy something like that, so buy the time I'm done getting quotes, the impulsive feeling has waned. I don't seem to have the same level of success with baked goods; I can't resist a good slice of cheesecake.
Good post. I keep a little cash on me and I have one card I keep deep down in my wallet that I rarely use. I pay for just about everything with cash these days rather than cards for this reason, and also for security reasons - those electronic payment systems get compromised a little too often for me to want to use them very often. I use the credit card for 1-2 purchases a month to keep an open credit file (I have long ago paid off all personal and business debt), and rarely use my debit cards.