We’ve discussed our limited supply of willpower before. Our willpower might also have a time limit. Forbes reports that, when we’re shopping, our brains tend to zone out after 90 minutes, making us susceptible to overspending.
Photo by Chris
According to Forbes, after an hour and a half of shopping, we start shop mindlessly. To counteract this, try setting a timer on your shopping spree.
Set the timer on your phone for 90 minutes. When it goes off, simply stop for a bit. Take a break and have a cup of tea. Look at what you’ve purchased and think about your plan. (Do you want to return anything you just bought?) I’m not saying go home. But taking a break every 90 minutes keeps you from overspending.
You could also do this with online shopping, which may be a bigger problem for most people. Let’s say you’re planning to make an online purchase, and you want to do some research. Set a timer for 90 minutes to make sure you don’t get stuck in a shopping haze.
Take a break, walk away and make sure you’re making good spending decisions. Forbes offers a few more tips for combating your brain’s autopilot settings. Check out the full post.
Understand Your Brain: 6 Tricks to Help You Avoid Overspending [Forbes]
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