I marched into my local discount department store last month with a very simple mission: buy an $18 sleep suit for my son.
But on my way to the sleepwear section, I passed a special on kids' T-shirts. Then I spotted some stationery I'd been meaning to replace. Then I got sidetracked by essential oils at a surprisingly reasonable price.
Then I blinked and I was at the check-out, buying two 30 cent plastic bags to carry the $114 haul I'd somehow accrued.
I'd been sucked in by the Kmart Effect (also sometimes called the Target Effect) — and I'm embarrassed to say it's not the first time.
The problem with impulse buys
Each time I dropped my cash on an impulse buy, I grimaced at the hit my bank account had taken.
I squirmed as I thought of the environmental effect (I generally op-shop for kids' clothes where I can), and mentally re-committed to more ethical options that don't involve lots of plastic and polyester.
But the convenience of finding items that are exactly the right size, all in the same place, inevitably draws me back to chain stores over time.
Once I'm there, my willpower is no match for the clever layout of the space — leading me from one deal to another and anticipating exactly what I need for the season.
Online shopping presented a similar problem. Targeted social media ads, along with the enticing banners promising "you're $11 away from free shipping!", guide me right back to overspending on unplanned items.
So I introduced four small tweaks to curb my impulse buying, both online and in-store. Here's how they went.
I resolved not to shop when stressed, tired or bored
After some rudimentary online research into why people impulse buy, I learned that it is often an emotional response — so I made a new rule not to shop when feeling stressed, sad or bored.
How it went: Honestly, this was easier said than done. As a parent, I'm often a combination of tired and stressed. I also found myself browsing an online store after two glasses of chardonnay one night, and realised I should have added "no shopping while tipsy" to my rule book.
But this tactic did work on at least one occasion. Last weekend, I resolved to reorganise my wardrobe instead of shopping — and discovered a few items that I've since revived.
Hello, black linen midi skirt, my old friend.
I deleted credit card details from my phone
When I'm paying bills or ordering groceries online, having my credit card details saved on my phone is incredibly convenient.
But there's a flipside: it only takes two or three clicks to spend hundreds of dollars.
So I decided to delete all credit card details from my phone and online accounts. The idea was to add one little hurdle to my online shopping process, building in a brief opportunity to rethink each purchase.
How it went: The actual process of removing my credit card details was a bit fiddly.
I had to log on to each online store where I'd saved my details, then locate the "remove saved credit card" option (often, that button is strategically difficult to find). Removing my credit card from my smartphone's Apple Wallet was especially tricky, and I had to search online for step-by-step instructions.
Ultimately, this tactic did prevent me from making one spur-of-the moment purchase. On another occasion, though, it prevented me easily paying a bill – and for a minute, I internally cursed past me for ever trying it out.
I introduced a 24-hour cooling-off period
A wise friend of mine suggested I put the brakes on my impulse buying by introducing a 24-hour cooling-off period before buying anything.
The delay would force me to consider whether I could really afford that item, and whether I really needed it. If it still felt like a reasonable purchase after a full day had passed, I could give myself the green light.
How it went: I didn't follow this rule flawlessly, because it felt inefficient to delay certain purchases. (I'm already here in the store, I may as well save time and grab those birthday gifts in advance.)
But this tactic did help on occasion. Sternly reminding myself to delay purchases saved me from, specifically, buying a cherry-red blazer I would have never had a reason to wear.
I unsubscribed from chain store marketing emails
After reading that two out of three impulse buys happen in bed on a phone, I realised I'm guilty of late-night online shopping.
I decided to remove my key late-night shopping trigger by unsubscribing from chain store email newsletters. If I really need an item for a gift or a special occasion, I can head directly to the store rather than getting lured in by emails.
How it went: Finding and unsubscribing from chain store mailing lists only took a few seconds, although I then decided to go one step further and unsubscribe from all the marketing lists from other stores and brands, too.
This was a bit of a slog and took about 20 minutes (I briefly tried one of those apps that promises to mass-unsubscribe from all your email newsletters, but it tried charging an annual fee so I ended up trawling through my emails manually).
Since successfully unsubscribing from all those mailing lists, though, I've completely avoided going down the online shopping rabbit hole when checking my email.
I'll take that as a win.