We make money goals. We vow to save more. We draft a budget, and we’re well on our way to reaching those goals.

Then, in one afternoon, we blow it all with a credit card and a weakness for “as seen on TV” items. I’m not judging; we’ve all been there. But there are ways to boost your willpower and check yourself before you, yes, wreck yourself. (And, subsequently, your budget.)    

Set a Dollar Limit for Indecision

I waver over in-store purchases a lot. I see something I love (I think), and I must buy it (maybe). This is a huge waste of time.

When I’m indecisive, and I find myself truly at a standstill, I use a dollar limit to automatically make my decision. If it’s under five bucks, I buy it and shut up. If it’s more than $25, I put it back and shut up. This way, I either walk away with a cheap impulse buy or I dodge a $25 bullet. Either outcome isn’t that bad. If the price is somewhere in between those numbers, I might think about it a little more, but I usually put it back.

Set a Dollar Limit for Waiting

My friend does something similar. If there’s something he wants to buy that costs more than $100, he forces himself to wait a few weeks. This gives him time to research the item and also make a practical, non-emotional decision.

Tape Goals to Credit Cards

Financial coach Adam Hagerman offers a handful of tips and tricks to stop spend less and save more. One of my favorites? Tape reminders to your credit or debit card. This way, when you whip out the plastic, you’re forced to think about your financial goals before you make your impulsive spending decision.

A reminder can be a statement of your financial goal. Or it can just be a question. Like, “C’mon, dummy. Do you really need this?”

If You Wouldn’t Walk Out With It On, Don’t Buy It

J. Money at Budgets are Sexy offers another great tip for indecision. Let’s say you’re trying on an item of clothing. Let’s say you’re not sure about it (“can I really pull off a head-to-toe tiger print jumpsuit?”). If you can’t decide, ask yourself this one simple question:

Would I walk out of this store wearing this right now?

If the answer is no, put it back.

Harness the Power of ‘No’

Money writer Jackie Beck offers a refreshing way of looking at “no.” When you turn something down, don’t think of what you’ve lost. Think about the power behind saying no.

“By saying no to things and events that aren’t meaningful to us, we can get the things we really want — and we have the time available to use those things. Essentially, we’re saying yes to the things that matter most to us.”

She actually goes on to talk about negotiating in her post, but I think this could apply to impulsive buying, too.

Think About Spending as Hours Worked

At Making Sense of Cents, Michelle writes about valuing items in terms of hours worked.

You first calculate your hourly take home pay, then figure out how many hours it would take to pay for an item. This tip is great for putting your spending into perspective. If you think, “I have to work two hours to pay for these jeans,” you might think twice about buying them. On the other hand, if you do buy them, valuing it in terms of hours worked might help you appreciate the purchase more.

Unlink Your Credit Card Info

Have an internet shopping problem? Here’s a simple solution: unlink your credit card info. When your payment info is stored online, it’s really easy to click the “pay now” button and order a bunch of stuff you don’t really need.

Spend Money on Stuff You Use Every Day

This Get Rich Slowly article makes a great point: you should spend your money on stuff you use regularly. Think about it: how many times have you bought something for a life you don’t actually live? For example:

• Buying skis, and you never go skiing.
• Buying fancy clothes, when you work from home and live for comfort.
• Buying a beautiful tea kettle, when you’re a coffee drinker.

This post has actually helped me on a few occasions. When I’m deciding on a purchase, I ask myself: am I buying this for my real life or my fantasy life? 

Visualize Your Future Self to Save More

A big barrier to saving money is a disconnect between our present and future selves. Basically, our future self feels like a stranger. And I’m not just making this up; lots of studies have proven this to be true. In one study, researchers showed subjects renderings of what they might look like in the future. Simply seeing that image made those subjects save more money.

If you’re stuck between spending less on today and saving more for tomorrow, imagine your future self. Think about the “you” 30 years from now. Imagine yourself with gray hair, asking your grandkids how to send a text. Have a conversation with that person.

Sounds crazy? Kind of, yeah. But science says it works.

Block Problem Websites

If your online spending has really gotten out of control, block your problem sites in your browser settings. The Internet makes it really easy to do things on auto-pilot. You might find yourself mindlessly navigating to Modcloth, for example. Next thing you know, you’ve got 10 items in your shopping cart and you can’t bring yourself to remove any of them. Blocking the site will keep you from mindlessly navigating to it in the first place.

Use Cold Hard Cash

It’s a classic brain hack, and it just works.

Cash has a limit. Okay, credit cards do, too. But those limits are pretty damn high. The very nature of cards encourage overspending. Most of the time you can probably control this. But if you’re visiting a store that makes you spendy, consider leaving your card at home and only bringing cash with you.

Some people say, “If you don’t want to spend, just don’t do it.” Which is great advice for robots. But we’re not robots. We’re people. And studies have shown that people have limited amounts of willpower. Sometimes, that willpower bends and we end up buying regrettable crap.

What do you guys do to curb impulse spending?

Photo by Annie Mole.