We’ve all been there – standing in a store with a handful of things that you don’t really need. Or you could be the type of person who spends money just to have something to do. Or maybe you shop because you’re hoping to feel better about something. Anyway you cut it – it is impulse spending. Here are a few questions that you can think about and answer.
1.) Does your spouse or partner complain that you spend too much money?
2.) Are you surprised each month when your credit card bill arrives at how much more you charged than you thought you had?
3.) Do you have more shoes and clothes in your closet(n.储藏室) than you could ever possibly wear?
4.) Do you buy things you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them on display in a store? If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you may be an impulse spender!
Knowing that the problem exists is the first step. The next step is starting to set some financial goals. Make them small – even if it’s only a one week goal like not buying any coffee for the week and putting the money you would have spent into an account. Accomplishing goals is a major motivating factor for anyone. So start small, and build big.
Next, you need to start to understand the difference between your wants and your needs. This can be hard to do especially if you are a long time impulse spender. One way you can help yourself with this it to give yourself a mandatory(adj.强制的) waiting period before any purchases. If you can wait for 24 hours, that’s great! If all you can muster is an hour – then it’s a start.
