Comments on: Preventing Impulse Buys and Combatting Clutter

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:05:39 +0000

Thanks for the support guys! I wish I could say I completely avoid crazy impulse buys, I still do them occasionally. I do try and wait before buying items.

@Neil: I hope it works well!

By: Vin | NaturalBias.com

Vin | NaturalBias.com — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:06:23 +0000

Hi Laura, great tips!

Another important aspect of minimizing impulse buys is protecting the environment. It’s amazing how many natural resources and how much pollution is involved in the production of the trivial products we buy for no reason, let sit around and throw away.

Anyone interested in learning more about the significant impact this is having should check out the free video at The Story of Stuff.

By: Neil

Neil — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:49:16 +0000

I hate clutter, but my wife doesn’t! We have endless arguments about whether we should thow/sell/give away things. I’ll get her to read this post and see if it helps

By: Matt @ My Financial Recovery

Matt @ My Financial Recovery — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:34:58 +0000

Thanks for the tips! I am generally pretty good about avoiding impulse purchases but definitely need some help in the clutter department!

By: Meredith

Meredith — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:59:57 +0000

It’s very true about marketing ploys. That why so many people park on the street instead of the garage. We have so much stuff we don’t need and can’t afford.

By: Wise Money Matters

Wise Money Matters — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:32:51 +0000

I always force myself to wait one week before buying something. After a week, I usually completely forget about it. If I still really want it after a week, I buy it.

By: craig

craig — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:18:50 +0000

Hard to prevent impulse buys but developing the will power can be very helpful to your wallet. I try to take a step back and really give myself a quick “sleep on it” mentality to weigh the pros and cons. Most times it’s really something I have no need for.

By: Jeff@StretchyDollar

Jeff@StretchyDollar — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:28:32 +0000

I like the “one in, one out” rule – if you buy something you’ve already got plenty (like a style of shirt, or a ‘time-saving’ device) then you get rid of one. If you’ve got 20 different shirts and you get a new one – consider getting rid of an old one. This helps is two ways – you have to want it bad enough to get rid of one you already have, and you can’t create clutter because you’ve still got the same amount of stuff.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:22:41 +0000

@DDFD: I’m learning to appreciate living without a lot of clutter.

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:46:33 +0000

Great post!

I hate clutter– I am always looking for eBay and yard sale opportunities . . .

Donations are also worthwhile . . .

New purchases are either:
Needed
Time or money savers
Quality of life enhancers