How do you curb impulse purchases?
I’ll talk more about what works generally for me rather than specifically for beauty, since I don’t really have to “curb” those purchases as most of what I make are just-released products and I don’t wait for reviews, LOL! I try to research the product, figure out whether that brand ever goes on sale and if I can wait for it (e.g. a new appliance, can I wait until a normal sale weekend or do I need it now). I approach it as more “you could buy it, but is it necessary to do so this very second?” I also focus on any financial goals I have at the time because impulse buys are usually unnecessary, so if it is something that will hurt my progress toward a larger goal, I find it helps to gain perspective.
— Christine
I think about how I’ll explain it to my husband when it gets delivered, haha. If it isn’t exciting, different, or special in some way, I know he’ll roll his eyes at me and I try to avoid that.
I usually try to buy at most one extra thing per month that’s either for housework/kitchen or for myself. It helps make the purchase more researched and needed. Also, I’ve been doing okay with what I already have, so if a new thing doesn’t get its own moment, it may never find its way into my routine.
I think about if I have anything similar, if it’s special in anyway and if I have the extra $. I’m charging nothing right now as I have paid off my cc. I impulse bought the new nomad palette this week but I had my eye on it for a minute. Prolly similar to your new collection with Sydney Grace which I am getting but I love bluish greens.
This might sound silly, but I’ve found that taking a picture of the item (if in person) or a screenshot helps eliminate that anxious of wanting something NOW.
Once I have a picture (with label, formula/shade) I know I have everything I need to track it down (probably cheaper) if I decide I do want it.
I also remind myself that I should read reviews first, because I’ve been tricked before!
Taking pics of the item and any relevant info also soothes the frustration of the store being out of stock or not available in your size/shade, etc. Thanks to the internet, you can almost always find what you’re looking for.
If *that* doesnt help, I tell myself I was meant to find something better, so be on the look out for it 😂
I do something very similar. In my case I make a picture collage of all my ‘wants’, frame it and hang it within my direct line of vision. That way , I ‘have’ the item without physically buying it, and that goes a long way to quelling impulse buys.
Apparently keeping a picture of something triggers the same satisfaction as owning something. I heard it from Pinterest marketing advice. Not sure if it’s true, but I’ve definitely felt less pressure to buy after taking a picture, too.
I put it in my cart, then leave the website. Go look at what I already have and ask if I really need it. Most of the time This is successful. The Pat McGrath sale has me struggling though!!
I do the same thing, it sits in my cart until I actually decide I can’t live without it or I don’t really want it after all. I won’t even go to PMG’s website! Too much temptation!
I think the Pandemic and how limited in person shopping and sampling/swatching has been has done more to curb my impulse buying than anything else. But I’ve also found that as my makeup collection has grown to pretty ridiculous size, FOMO has diminished a lot and I will stop and think about how having so much to choose from already sort of minimizes my enjoyment of what I have.
I’ve had a problem with impulse buys the last few years. Setting a dollar or item maximum per month does not work. The only thing I’ve found works is loading up the cart with the item, then eye shopping more items and adding those in, and then waiting an hour. Usually, I get distracted and forget to go back and purchase the item. The prospect of putting all those items in the basket is unappealing plus I start to second-guess myself. Basically, I find ways to distract myself off the item.
Having said that, it doesn’t take much to override my rational instinct to walk away. For instance, if you happen to give the item a top rating, the item must now exist in my physical space next to me. If someone here sings the praises of said item, in my credit card goes. Or if I’m in a bad mood, I will use the item purchase to assuage my feelings.Some people eat their feelings or take them out in others; I deal with mine through makeup. Makeup is my therapy and my medicine. It’s not the worst thing in the world. So I never feel all that bad about purchasing it, just that I’ve run out of room to store it all and have a practical need to curb purchasing.
This rant just helped me rationalize buying the new ND palette, should you give it high marks – le sigh.
Generally, by asking myself a virtual litany of questions, as in: 1.) How often do I truthfully expect to use this product? 2.) Will it really work for me or is it something that will get used once or twice and then just sit in a drawer? 3.) Does the value warrant the price? 4.) How will this fit in with what I already have? 5.) Will it push me over budget for the month?
I remind myself that I want to streamline my routine and my products and I visualize those clean and empty spaces in my medicine cabinet and my makeup tray and drawers. But I am really not very good at stopping myself. If the buyers remorse sets in before the product arrives or is opened, I will return it.
It’s been pretty easy this past year because I’m just not wearing enough makeup to justify spending, and I learn from your site how many dupes I have.
Even if I don’t have a solid dupe, I wonder If I’m actually going to wear it and the answer is no 90% of the time.
I hope, once things get back to some semblance of *normal* I’ll consider my purchases as much as I have in 2020/2021!
I make $ X.00/hr. When I see an item, I figure how many hours of work it would take to pay off the item. It helps curb impulse purchases.
I don’t tend to have ‘impulse’ purchases anymore, I always wait for your reviews Christine and then check out the dupes list. Not having many of the products available to me to see in person probably helps too. As I am quite fussy about what eyeshadow palettes I purchase nowadays, I always shop my stash first. I do have all the shades I love pretty well covered.
Regularly sorting and editing my stash reminds me of what I have enough of.
It is tempting to check out new products and swatches .. but the shades I’m attracted to I usually already have plenty of .
However if it’s a new formula with amazing reviews ..Then I’m tempted ..ha,ha.
I love quirky and sassy packaging. I would get sucked in and buy everything. So I now look past the packaging and see the actual product. Then I can compare what I have sitting there waiting for me to use and share my love for what I have.
I’m in the process of getting rid of things so I’m in the frame of mind that I don’t want to bring more things into the house because I’m going to have to have a space for it. If I see something I want I will put it in my cart, I will go and do something else, if I can’t talk myself out of it then I will purchase it, most times I end up taking it out of my cart. Sometimes we need a treat though, makeup is harmless, no calories and it can be washed off, it lifts your spirit while making you look better at the same time.
i used to rely on retail therapy to manage my unhappiness in my marriage. i amassed so much makeup which made me feel initially happy but empty inside. i finally got divorced last year, and working towards buying my own place this year. that made me more aware of my spending habits as there is now a tangible big-ticket important item in my life to work for.
I sleep on it, then bookmark it and leave it alone for a month. After two months, I normally don’t even want it anymore. I have to clean my bookmarks regularly. :p
I’ve found Temptalia to be one of my most useful tools in avoiding impulse makeup purchases not only because I wait for reviews now and can get detailed information about whether the product is worth my purchase but with the list of dupes often I’ll realize I already own it so not only can I often skip the purchase I’m reminded of something in my existing collection to pull into rotation.
I’m trying to work on this. I was tempted to buy a Lorac palette this morning, but told myself that I’m likely to only use three colors that I probably already have (and never use). I need to put as much money as I can toward getting my car paid off this summer, not adding to my makeup collection. With Klarna being available now I find it extremely hard to avoid temptation though and really have to watch myself. I’m trying.
Omg. Still working on it. But so far I see something, force myself to wait a few hours before looking again (honestly usually that’s all it takes before the immediate shine wears off), and if that doesn’t work I make a cart, see how much shipping is, if there is anything worth adding to get free shipping, is that final price worth it to me?, etc..etc.. and if I’m STILL thinking about it I wait another day or two. Unless it’s a short-time offer I like to try and wait a week. I am constantly distracted by shiny, new things, but also am easily bored and “over it” if I give myself enough time. If I can’t stop thinking about something then it’s probably truly worth it.