Who wouldn’t love buying stuff online?
It is easy, simple, and entertaining all at the same time. It seems and feels like a great experience every time you open that online shopping app, put that item in that cart, and click the checkout button—until it is not. The next thing you know, the situation and things got out of control.
This post will go through ways to stop buying stuff and cut online shopping habits. This will be helpful, especially if you wish to control your online shopping habit and manage your impulse buying problem.
Why is it important to break the habit of excessing buying and online shopping
Anything excessive is bad. We all know how rewarding it may feel to check out items and finally receive them. But excessive buying of stuff online also goes with other disadvantages like the following:
- It can cause financial strain. The inability to stop online shopping can quickly add up, resulting in debt, failure to save, put up an emergency fund, and attain other financial objectives.
- It increases clutter- buying stuff online can cause an accumulation of unnecessary things. Because it is convenient to shop online, it is easier to buy things we do not need.
- It is not bringing true happiness– While shopping online can feel pleasing, those feelings are short-lived and will turn into guilt, regret, and sometimes anxiety. Breaking the habit of excessive only shopping will stop us from expecting happiness from it and find another source of happiness and fulfillment that is not related to material possessions.
The things above are just examples of the disadvantages we want to dump to live a more intentional life. Those negative things are why a person should stop buying stuff excessively.
Strategies to stop buying stuff online and cutting the habit of excessing online shopping
- Remove online shopping exposure– advertisements, newsletters, and even entertainment videos can contain an invitation to buy a product. You can cut online shopping habits by unsubscribing to newsletters and promotional content. You can also try uninstalling shopping apps from your devices. I curbed my spending habit by reducing exposure. So, I decided to turn off my notification from online shopping applications.
- Remove saved payment details– Online shopping apps and sites want us to create an account, saving our information and payment details for easier transactions. You can make it inconvenient to complete a purchase by removing your saved payment details in your online shopping apps or site- and giving you time to decide if you need to buy the product.
- Set financial goals– create a budget geared toward achieving your financial goals. Having a budget sets financial priorities and will prompt you to limit your online shopping. Taking your budget seriously and having a clear financial plan will help you assess what is important and what should be ignored now. You can check out this post to read the best budgeting practices you can start now.
- Adopt mindfulness in your shopping– being mindful means being present. Some of us get caught up in impulse buying because we allow the situation or our emotions to rule us. We sometimes want to indulge in buying too much stuff when we are stressed or bored until that becomes a habit. To adopt mindfulness, you can make a shopping list and start sticking to it.
- Wait before making a purchase– I have known this advice since I was young, and I can say it is effective.
- Focus your attention on other activities and hobbies– Buying stuff for yourself or loved ones is rewarding as it promotes happiness. However, relying too much on material things to be happy is also detrimental.
- Assign a “no-spend” period– mark your calendar when you can have a “no-spend” day or week. Challenge yourself to this activity and refrain from making any online purchases. This activity will not only help you boost your savings or emergency fund but also aid in providing a sense of control over how you spend your money.
- Set aside an amount for online shopping– It may sound counterintuitive as we are tackling how to stop buying too much stuff online, but this approach has helped me. I used this advice to feel confident in my shopping habit and avoid spending much on shopping. Every month, I set aside a small amount that I can use to shop guilt-free. This way helps me to avoid overspending and wait till the money I set aside each month is enough to buy the product I want. Through this, I practice delayed gratification and can buy the product I want without regret.
Final thoughts on how to stop buying too much stuff online.
Learning to control our urge to buy too much stuff is very important to achieve financial freedom and reach our goals. Hopefully, these tips I shared in this post can help you manage your spending habits and excessive online shopping. This post is not about eliminating online shopping. Instead, finding a balance and enabling you to align your spending based on your values and what is essential.
This is a sign to break the habit of too much online shopping and to prioritize your most important financial goals.
Love,
Leave a Reply