Flashback Friday: 44 Ways to Effectively Resist Impulse Buys

Advertiser Disclosure ▾

This page contains affiliate links from which we receive a compensation. Like many publications Wise Bread is supported by affiliate commission from partner companies whose products appear on our site. This may influence which products we write about and the location and order in which products appear. We aren't able to cover every product in the marketplace.

Wise Bread Picks

• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The impulse buy is sly. It is cunning. It can suck you into its wasteful clutches before you realize you don’t actually need that gadget or geegaw or trifle in the first place. Impulse buys are also major budget busters, as they are often unplanned expenses that can add up quickly. If you're looking to resist the lure of the impulse buy, succumb to the charms of these 44 impulse buy busters.

10 Classic Impulse Buys We Need to Stop Falling For — To defeat your enemy, you must first learn everything you can about them. So in terms of impulse buys, you need to know which products to avoid. These are the items we all fall for, so steer clear.

6 Ways Having Your Groceries Delivered Can Save You Money — A big chunk of impulse buys include food. Whether it's candy at the checkout line, ice cream when you decide you've had a bad day and deserve it, or three extra frozen pizzas because you've had a bad week, if you get your groceries delivered to your doorstep, you can likely avoid all of these purchases. And save money while you're at it!

Now or Later: How to Decide the Right Time to Buy Almost Anything — Cutting out the classic impulse buys entirely from your budget isn't a good idea though, because it'll come to feel like deprivation, which can lead to even more reckless spending. So if you use this guide to determine when you should stock up on some of your favorite comfort buys, you will be victorious.

9 Simple Ways to Stop Impulse Buying — Cutting back on impulse buys is a great idea, in theory. But so is eating right, getting eight hours of sleep, and exercising four or five times a week, and not many of us practice these healthy habits consistently. These tips will simplify the concept, though, so that in a moment of weakness, you'll make the right choice.

7 Effortless Ways to Prevent Budget-Busting Impulse Buys — Sure, "simple" ways to prevent impulse buys sounds helpful, but you know what sounds even better? "Effortless." These tips will make impulse buys seem as easy as breathing, well, almost.

11 Money Habits That Make You Look Financially Immature — Impulse buying is a bad habit. It's also a financially immature habit, because it screams, "I want it now, so I will have it now!" Once you accept that, and decide you want to avoid all immature financial habits, you'll be less likely to make these poor shopping choices.