How to Stop Shopping On Impulse

Impulse buying is a habit that can be hard to break. It’s always easy to justify why we want a certain item or why this item sparks joy (especially if it’s on sale), but do you really need that item in your life? Will it serve a specific purpose and add value, or will it just take up space and add to the unnecessary clutter in your life?

Before I get into my tips on breaking this habit, I first want to address the difference between compulsive and impulsive shopping. When you do something out of impulse, that usually means that you’re doing it out of emotion. Compulsive shopping is done more out of this internal urge or desire, and while both of these do take less time and thought, compulsive behavior in general is seemingly more difficult to break because it’s been conditioned inside your mind subconsciously- and this is exactly what I struggled with the most before I got into minimalism or capsule wardrobes. So whether your shopping is impulsive or compulsive, it’s still a habit that can negatively impact your life if you’re not careful.

One of the biggest things that has helped me personally with my shopping habits is using the shopping ban. This can take place for either a month, two weeks or even a year if the habit seems that severe. If you’ve ever seen the show Hoarders: Buried Alive, then it’s likely known then that there’s a little bit of psychology involved when it comes to why we buy stuff or even hold onto stuff we don’t need. Those who have the problem of hoarding may need a psychologist’s help depending on how severe the problem is, and the same can be said for compulsive or impulsive shopping habits. There’s no shame in getting help. There’s no shame in just walking away from that department store and saying no to what doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, and sometimes just recognizing that is a good first step.

Placing a budget on yourself when you go shopping can also be beneficial if you’re wanting to save more money for other things. My rule of thumb personally is to not go above $100 whenever I’m at the mall and this has helped me to be more mindful of how much I spend. And if I ever find myself wanting something out of impulse, I’ll stop and ask myself these questions:

1. Can I find more than one use out of this item? (for clothing)

2. Will I actually use this item or get value out of it?

3. Do I already have something similar to this at home?

One thing that I used to struggle with is just feeling comfortable in being alone with my own thoughts, and sometimes, that would lead me to go out shopping for things I didn’t need. If you struggle with this problem as well, then that’s completely normal. There’s honestly a lot of things you can do to help slow down your racing mind, like taking a walk outside or reading a book. You could even reach out to a friend and catch up with them, take a hot shower or a warm bath, or make your own spa day at home with pedicures, manicures and facials. Another option to consider is to start a journal. This way, if you ever find yourself thinking too much and not knowing how to deal with it, you can just write down those thoughts and feelings as they come to you.

One thing I’ve noticed since implementing these habits is that I feel more calm, focused and relaxed. Now I’m not perfect by any means and sometimes, I do slip up, but that’s okay. One thing that I’d advise the most as you go through this process is to not be hard on yourself if you slip back into old habits. It may be normal to make a couple of mistakes here and there, but I do believe that accountability is crucial for a habit like this when you’re first starting out. So if you find yourself struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone who can actually help you.

I hope that these tips are helpful to you in some way. I know that sometimes, life can be hard or frustrating, so because of that, I want to help and give solutions that will actually work. This one habit in particular of impulse shopping is something we all seem to be aware of, but what we don’t think about is the long-term effects it’ll have if we don’t do anything to change the problem. I personally believe that we can find more joy in the relationships we have with other people than we can ever find in material items. We don’t have to overbook ourselves by any means with social time, but if we can just learn to be a little more intentional with how we spend our time, it’ll lead to less stress in the end.