# How to stop impulse buying

Source: https://koshex.com/blog/what-are-5-ways-you-can-stop-impulse-buying · Published 23 May 2023 · 7 min read

To stop impulse buying, put a delay and some effort between wanting something and paying for it. Shop from a list, wait before you buy, remove saved payment details and keep a fixed monthly sum for wants. Notice the feeling that sets off the urge, and give it time to pass.

## Key takeaways

- Impulse buying is an unplanned purchase decided on the spot, usually prompted by an emotion or by the way a product is shown.
- A pay-later purchase on a merchant platform must be reported to credit bureaus, so it shows on your credit report.
- Before a card purchase becomes EMIs, the bank must show the amount, the interest and the discount. An EMI with interest cannot be called no-cost.
- A ₹2,999 jacket worn three times costs about ₹1,000 a wear, and worn 30 times about ₹100 a wear.
- Doom spending is spending to feel better when worried about the news or the future.

Impulse buying means buying something you had not planned, decided on the spot. You stop it by putting time and effort between the urge and the payment. A list, a waiting period and fewer saved payment details are the simplest ways to do that.

## What is impulse buying?

Impulse buying is an unplanned purchase decided on the spot, usually prompted by an emotion or by the way a product is shown. A gadget you grab during a flash sale is one example. A late-night food order you did not plan for is another.

Not every unplanned buy is a problem. A book you pick up at a station stall and enjoy is hardly a crisis. It becomes a problem when these buys start crowding out the things your [budget](https://koshex.com/blog/zero-based-budgeting) was meant to cover. A budget is a plan for what you will spend and what you will keep aside each month.

## What causes impulse buying?

A feeling meets an easy way to pay. The feeling might be boredom on a Sunday, stress after a hard week, or the wish to reward yourself. The buy is quick relief, and the thought of the bill comes later.

The way things are shown adds to it. A social media feed puts a product in front of you at the moment you are scrolling and idle. A sale countdown makes waiting feel like losing. "Only a few left" makes a choice feel urgent. Free delivery above a certain cart value nudges you to add one more item.

None of this says anything about your character. The useful move is to slow the decision down again.

## Why is impulse buying so easy online?

Paying takes seconds, and paying later feels like not paying. UPI, the phone-based system for instant payments from a bank account, needs a few taps and a PIN. The money leaves before the excitement fades.

Pay-later buttons make it feel lighter still. BNPL, short for buy now, pay later, lets you take the item today and pay afterwards. It is a loan. Deferred-payment credit on a merchant platform must be reported to credit bureaus. A credit bureau is a company registered with RBI that keeps credit records and produces your credit report and score. So a pay-later purchase shows on your credit report.

### What does no-cost EMI really mean?

An EMI, or equated monthly instalment, is the fixed amount you pay each month to clear a purchase or loan. On a credit card, a "no-cost EMI" is meant to work by the shop or the bank knocking the interest off as a discount. Before a purchase is turned into EMIs, the bank has to set out the amount being converted, the interest on it and that discount. If you would still pay interest, RBI does not allow the plan to be called no-cost. Look at those numbers, and any processing fee (a charge for setting up the loan), before you agree.

Take a ₹24,000 phone on a six-month EMI. It is ₹4,000 a month from each of your next six salaries. That is simple arithmetic, and whether the offer is truly no-cost is what the breakdown shows.

A credit card is interest-free only if you pay the whole bill by the due date. Pay less, even the minimum, and you lose the interest-free period.

### What should you watch for at checkout?

Since November 2023, India's consumer regulator treats 13 "dark patterns" as unfair trade practices. They include false urgency ("only 2 left!"), items slipped into your cart, guilt-tripping when you decline, subscription traps and prices that grow at checkout. If a site does this, you can complain to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or at consumerhelpline.gov.in.

Read the return policy shown before you pay, because it differs from seller to seller. Free trials deserve a second look too. For a card or UPI auto-debit, the bank must send a notice at least 24 hours before each charge. You can withdraw the auto-debit at any point. In any UPI app you can view your active auto-debits and revoke, pause or change them.

## How can you stop impulse buying?

Build in a delay and remove the easy routes. Here are the habits people use. Pick the ones that suit your month, since none of them is a rule.

1. **Shop from a list.** Write what you need before you open the app or leave home. The same works for food: decide what to order, or what to cook, before you open a food app. Anything off the list has to earn its place.
2. **Wait before you buy.** Some people wait a day for small things and a week or even 30 days for big ones. If you still want it after the wait, you are buying with a clearer head.
3. **Use a wishlist instead of the cart.** Save the item and come back later.4. **Work out the cost per use.** Say Meera, 29, in Kolkata spots a jacket at ₹2,999. If she wears it three times, it costs about ₹1,000 a wear. If she wears it 30 times, it costs about ₹100 a wear. The same price tells two different stories.
4. **Remove saved cards and log out of shopping apps.** Typing in a card number each time adds a step between the urge and the payment.
5. **Turn off sale notifications.** Unsubscribe from sale emails and SMS too. You can still shop on a day you choose.
6. **Keep a separate spending account.** Move a fixed monthly sum into it and pay for wants from there, by debit or UPI rather than credit. When it runs out, the month's wants are done.
7. **Plan wants into the budget.** A rule of thumb such as [50-30-20](https://koshex.com/blog/50-30-20-rule) gives wants their own share, and so does [zero-based budgeting](https://koshex.com/blog/zero-based-budgeting). A planned want is easier to enjoy and easier to refuse.
8. **Track a month of spending.** [Tracking your expenses](https://koshex.com/blog/track-your-personal-expenses) shows which buys were impulse buys.

Here is what the total can look like. Suppose Meera buys unplanned things at about ₹2,999 each on four sale days in a year. That is ₹11,996 a year. The figure is one person's illustration, not an average.

If a slip happens, do not make it a reason to give up. Note what set it off and try again next week. For more ideas on keeping spending in check, see [ways to save money from your salary](https://koshex.com/blog/10-best-ways-to-save-money).

## What is doom spending, and how do you avoid it?

Doom spending is spending to feel better when you are worried about the news or the future. It is impulse buying driven by worry. A bad headline, a tense phone call about the economy, and an hour later there is a parcel on its way.

A few things help:

- **Notice the trigger.** If you feel anxious and your thumb heads for a shopping app, that is the moment to stop.
- **Limit news and shopping apps together.** Take breaks from news and social apps. Set app time limits so one does not lead to the other.
- **Pick a free or cheap alternative.** A walk, a call to a friend or cooking at home gives the same break without the bill.
- **Talk to someone.** Tell someone you trust what is worrying you.

If spending feels out of control or is tied to stress, you can talk to a trained counsellor for free on the government's Tele MANAS helpline, 14416 or 1-800-891-4416.

Worry about money has its own article on [money dysmorphia](https://koshex.com/blog/money-dysmorphia-what-is-it-and-how-to-overcome-it). If card or pay-later bills have already piled up, read [how to get out of a debt trap](https://koshex.com/blog/5-steps-to-get-out-of-a-debt-trap). To see another budgeting idea, try [loud budgeting](https://koshex.com/blog/loud-budgeting-internets-best-hack-to-save-money).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I stop impulse buying?

To stop impulse buying, put a delay and some effort between wanting something and paying for it. Shop from a list and use a wishlist instead of the cart. Wait a day, a week or longer before buying, and remove saved cards from shopping apps. A fixed monthly sum for wants helps too.

### What is the main cause of impulse buying?

A feeling meets an easy way to pay. The feeling may be boredom, stress or the wish for a reward after a hard week. Sale countdowns, messages like only a few left, and one-tap payment make buying quicker than thinking.

### Is impulse buying a sign of ADHD or depression?

Impulse buying alone does not tell anyone what is behind it. Spending on impulse can go with stress or low mood. If it feels out of control, it is worth raising with a doctor. You can also talk to a trained counsellor for free on the government's Tele MANAS helpline, 14416 or 1-800-891-4416.

### Is no-cost EMI a good way to buy something?

A no-cost EMI still takes money from your later salaries. On a credit card, it is meant to work by the shop or bank taking the interest off as a discount. Before converting, the bank must show the amount, the interest and the discount. Look at those numbers, and any processing fee, before you agree.

### What is doom spending?

Doom spending is spending to feel better when you are worried about the news or the future. It is impulse buying driven by worry. Noticing the trigger, limiting news and shopping apps together, and finding a free or cheap break can help.

### What should I do if I already bought something on impulse?

Check the seller's return policy, which differs from seller to seller. If a free trial turned into a card or UPI subscription, you can withdraw that auto-debit at any time. Any UPI app lets you revoke, pause or change active auto-debits. Then adjust this month's budget to cover the buy.

*This article explains how things work; it is not advice to buy or sell any investment. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.*