Ask ‘Did I Need This Yesterday?’ To Avoid Frivolous Purchases

Every dollar you spend is a choice. When it comes to impulse purchases, it’s easy to justify something you don’t necessarily need. Before you buy something, ask yourself the question: “Did I need this yesterday?”

Picture: Spidere Warmouse/Flickr

As home management blog What Mommy Does suggests, asking “Did I need this yesterday?” allows you to filter the truly necessary from the good-to-haves. If you couldn’t think of a time you needed something the day before, you probably won’t need it that much tomorrow:

This tactic can actually help you make a decision to not go to the mall to shop “just because.” If you can’t of anything specific you needed yesterday, then the simple solution to save you from spending money unnecessarily is to not go to the mall and do something else with your time.

Of course, if you’re prone to taking advantage of technicalities, expand the timeline. Ask yourself how many times you’ve really needed something over the last week. Or how much you might need it over the next week. The act of impulse shopping is directly opposed to long-term thinking, so forcing yourself to think outside of the moment can help cut down on your unnecessary expenditures.

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