Recently, social media has been the main contributor as why sales increase for many brands. A few popular videos is enough to make people run to the closest store to buy something. While there’s nothing wrong with splurging every now and then, spending money adds up.
A reason people immediately buy something is to not feel left out. People want to experience for themselves why something is popular. Also, seeing multiple videos about the same product reinforces the idea that you need it. You start to justify the purchase before you’ve made it.
What Do I Do With It?
Re-purposing an impulse buy is a a great way to get your money’s worth out of a product. A few months ago, I received an Ulta gift card and decided to buy Philosophy’s Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere Bath & Shower Gel. After a month, I realized I wasn’t reaching for the product like I thought I would. The product is amazing, but I didn’t need it at the time.
The solution? I started to use the shower gel as a hand soap. I would also pour it in my bath under the water to form bubbles.
Figuring out why you don’t use the product will also help not make another impulsive by. For some people, they already have the product they need. For example, I have the limited edition EOS Caramel Cashmere lotion and the Sticky Dates Body Lotion from Lush. These two lotions are very similar in scent. I might mix the two every now and then to use them up.
How To Stop
Impulse buying is already difficult for those who have shopping addictions. The need to possess something takes over before we realize it. However, there are a few things you can do to put that purchase on hold.
First, take your card information off of your laptop or phone. This helps with online shopping. Having to get up and type in my card information makes me second guess what I’m about to purchase.
Second, don’t justify why you need it. Do the opposite. Think about the products you already have, the price, the time shipping take, the size of the product, and more. Once you take a second, you will realize how much you don’t need the product.
Next, think about your last impulse or large buy. How often are you using it? What problems are you having that you didn’t consider? How long ago did you buy it?
Lastly, and the hardest, is to let the time go by. Think of it as a reward for yourself at the end of the month. If the month goes by and you still want it, go for it. But, if you’ve spent the month not thinking about it, it’s probably worth letting it sit on the shelf.
It’s okay to miss out on a product. When that happens, you may rediscover something that was going to waste! Let’s go through those cabinets before we open our wallets, N Crowd!
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