Whether you’re out window shopping or really going for a Lakeland shopping spree, you have to have some semblance of control over your expenses. As much as we all want to buy everything that we lay our eyes on, that’s simply not possible unless we somehow find out we’re adopted and are really the sons/daughters of gazillionaires. So, whenever we go to the mall, we have to find the willpower to resist all kind of consumerists’ temptations.
To do that, we’ve got to help ourselves, too. We cannot surround ourselves with people who will simply say yes to our every question of “should we buy this?”.
Going with a passive friend
We like being with our friends, right? We love their company, and we always accompany each other when we go to malls or even to flea markets. It’s just one of the things that we do to develop the friendship and bond together. However, if you’re going to the mall with a friend who is kind of passive in his/her attitude with you, then you’re not helping yourself resist the temptation to buy everything. Simply said, if you ask your friend if you should buy an item, he/she should tell you that you’re still finishing the debt you made last sale season, so you shouldn’t really buy anything now. But, if he/she is just going to nod his/her head, then he/she is not helping at all.
Bringing all credit cards with us
If you don’t want to buy anything, don’t bring your debit or your credit cards with you. It’s not enough that you’re not bringing cash with you. Don’t bring your credit cards, too, because it will be so easy to cajole you to buy something you don’t even need if you don’t have to pay for it right away. You can just tell yourself that you’re going to pay for it on your next payday. But we know that’s not going to happen. What will happen is you’re going to forget about your purchase, and the debt will keep piling up.
Not setting a budget and not sticking to the plan
When you do need to buy something from the mall, make sure to stick to that plan. If you need to pick up toiletries, make sure to go only where you’re going to buy them. Don’t tempt yourself by window shopping. Stick to your budget and stick to the plan. Have some self-control, so you don’t wake up blaming yourself for an unplanned purchase.