You still regret buying it.
What’s that one thing that readily comes to mind?
You know how you feel when you buy that new iPhone and you’re wondering, “Should I have bought that? Was it really worth it? Can I even afford to live like this? I could have saved that money.”
Some people end up with an “If I perish, I perish” attitude, while some others can’t even go far without that paralysing feeling of regret. That second one is what we call buyer’s remorse.
Everyone will make an unnecessary purchase at some point in their lives— a purchase that’ll leave you staring at your wardrobe and wondering why didn’t resist the urge to buy that new top, or that’ll tempt you to eat the apple at the back of your iPhone.
Some people might say you should ask yourself before buying:
Do I really need this?
Do I really want this?
Will I still need/want it next week?
But if you’re a chronic spend-aholic, your answer will almost always be “YES”. Then you’ll go ahead to buy it and eventually regret it.
So how do you really avoid buyer’s remorse?
1. Wait one more day before buying.
Yes, we know it’s doing your body somehow to buy right now but if you develop this single habit, you’ll come back to say thank you because you’ll save money on all your unnecessary purchases.
And be careful of those marketing tactics that businesses use to deceive you that a product is limited or a sale is running out. If you don’t need or want an item right now, there’s no need to hurry and buy it. You’re not missing out.
2. Delete those shopping apps from your phone.
You can list them without even checking— Ozon, AliExpress, WildBerries, Kari, Shein etc. You know those ones you automatically open when you’re bored. You even know the ones that you’ve spent the most money on this year.
Stop deceiving yourself. If you don’t have the money, don’t surround yourself with temptation. Delete those apps that tempt you the most so that you go shopping only when you need to.
3. Don’t save bank cards online. Use cash to pay for stuff.
The goal here is to create that extra friction- to create enough time for you to think twice about your buying decision so you don’t go swiping now and crying later.
Bonus tip- you know those days when you’re just accompanying a friend to go shopping (or window-shopping), don’t take your card with you, get cash instead so you don’t buy anything on impulse.
4. Have a budget.
You see this one everywhere but you’ve decided not to listen. The best way to improve on your spending habits is to understand what goes on in your account every month.
Write down what goes in and out of your accounts every month then make a plan of what you want it to look like going forward
Of course, you should have the freedom to use your money the way you like, but it should be intentional spending that you can always account for.
For those who have bought something already and that feeling of regret wont leave you, just accept your fate. Realise your mistake and next time you feel like buying something stupid, there will be that reminder from your past mistakes.
And if you’re still thinking about your money, you have the choice to return the item, sell it or just forget it if there’s nothing you can do about it. You must forgive yourself. You can also decide to build a stricter budget and get guidance with your money plans.
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