I want to buy so many things

The responsible and wise part of me knows that I don’t need them. I lived so many years without them and I did just fine. I have something similar and I don’t need to replace it. It won’t fix all my problems and it won’t satisfy all my needs. It’s not the last thing I’m buying once and for all. But I open Amazon again and endlessly scroll again looking for something that will make my life better. A quick shot of dopamine when I buy another cute thing. And then a big disappointment, because I can’t stop myself from doing it again.

First step of solving a problem: Acknowledge it. I know I’ve bought a lot of things that I didn’t need. There’s no shame in it. Just acknowledging.

No need to be hard on yourself here, no need to beat yourself up. Feeling shame and sadness won’t help if these are the type of feelings that make us mindlessly shop. Just think, what need are you trying to satisfy with buying things? Do you need the thing or do you want to think that having it will make you happier. Will it?

There are so many people like me, so I searched the internet and asked my close ones to get a list of ways people use to stop themselves from impulsive purchases.

• Use an “Impulse Buy Checklist”. This is a list of yes/no questions to ask yourself before purchasing anything. It usually includes questions like “Is this thing in the budget? Can this wait until next month? Do I already have something similar?” Ideally to have a quick access to it wherever you can expect to buy something. Print one and put at your computer desk, to use when shopping online. And have some on your phone for physical stores. This will help you pause and reconsider before buying.

(No, you don’t need to go on Etsy and buy the most aesthetic one to print. You can find it for free)

• Clean and declutter your space. It can remind you how many items you already have and that you don’t need to buy any more. Living in small space makes you think of it even more. Next time you buy something new look at your space: will it comfortably fit new item or will you have to get rid of something instead?
• Budget your income. Make a list of all your expenses and categorize them as essentials and non-essentials. Set up auto-deposit on a payday for a portion of your non-essential money to a savings account.
• Replace shopping with savings: Every time you want to buy something, buy stocks or send money to a savings account for the same amount.

• Don’t take a shopping cart or basket when you’re not planning to buy much. If it doesn’t fit in your hands, it’s extra and you don’t need it. Also, use a shopping list.

Another big factor that persuades me to shop is constantly watching advertisements. They are everywhere now. So, look for ways to help yourself avoid them.

• Social media. Websites get paid for showing you ads. Influencers get paid for promoting products in ads too. No one does it for free. They do it to make you look at the things and buy them.

I recently got caught up in the loop of watching “become that girl” videos on YouTube.

I looked for motivation, and I found that to be ‘that’ girl you need to buy things. Buy new cute gym clothes, buy this skincare that will cure your acne (this time for sure), buy new magic healthy green drink, and also don’t forget to buy the course on how to be healthy, beautiful, and productive this summer.

I don’t like to feel manipulated. And the moment I realized that the majority of these videos are just trying to make me feel like I’m missing something important, I saw them in a totally new light.

The only advice I can find here is to avoid social media as much as possible.

Think of other places where you watch ads. TV, Google, and anything else. If you can avoid them, do so.

• Unsubscribe from shopping websites’ emails, Instagram accounts, etc. You don’t need to know if they have a new clothing line or discounts. If you really need something, you will find it. There’s no need for a reminder.
• Last but not least: make every step of shopping harder. Don’t save passwords and credit card details. Having to input it all manually might make you reconsider buying the item in the process. This is real, and it’s working.

That inspiration led me to start developing a way to help people like me pause before buying something. Currently, I’m developing a Chrome extension that will detect when you are trying to buy something and will prompt you to think more carefully about the purchase. The extension is called Conscious, it is free and you can find it here getconscious.online.

Some of these tips will work better for you than others. Try them out and choose the ones that help you the most. Remember, you’re not the only one who struggles with impulsive spending. There are a lot of us, and all we can do is try to be better every day.

Thank you for reading. I hope you liked this post, and I encourage you to share your journey and perhaps some tips and tricks for shopping responsibly.

Your deinfluencer,
Anastasiia

Originally published on Medium.