Key Takeaways
- Technology makes it easier and quicker than ever to buy things.
- Our ever-present smart devices, in particular, are a source of many impulse purchases.
- Here are some tips for reducing those impulse buys.
Technology has advanced to the point where all we have to do is say “Alexa, reorder peanut butter,” and within 24 hours, a package will arrive on our doorstep. While this is incredibly convenient, it can also cause us to spend money without really thinking too much about it.
Similarly, most everyone carries a smartphone, and it’s really easy to use those devices to purchase just about anything. So what can be done to save money, if you’re finding technology is making it a bit too easy to spend it? Well, there are four tips to help you here.
First, when you’re at work, turn off your phone notifications so that it’s not grabbing your attention. The more your phone has your attention, the more likely you are to look at it and see a variety of ads.
Second, remove those shortcuts for payment: Amazon’s 1-Click ordering, Apple Pay, Instagram autofill, and so forth. All of these make it really easy to buy stuff – they reduce the chance you’ll think twice about spending money. So undo them. The more steps it takes you to buy something, the more likely you’ll think through whether or not you really need it.
Three, consider buying a Tracfone. You may be thinking this means spending more money, but it could end up saving you money in the long run. Turn it on when you’re most likely to make those impulse purchases, and turn off your main phone. Perhaps you’ve got a habit of shopping on your phone over the weekend – consider only using your Tracfone over the weekend and giving your number to the people who need it. It may sound dramatic, but it’s a way to have the security blanket of a phone without all the distractions.
Four, when you’re on long vacations where you might have a lot of idle time that would tempt you to shop, enlist that Tracfone again. You’re on vacation to relax and unwind anyway, not to view all those ads and shop online.
So if you’re feeling like you’ve made a few too many impulse buys and want to get serious about saving some money, try reorganizing your life when it comes to your smartphone. Until next time, enjoy.
Gary
If you’d like to read more on this topic, here are a few of Gary’s previous posts that you might enjoy:
Keep Your Brain Healthy, Start Your Day Without the Internet
