As you scroll through the world wide web especially on your smartphone, the risk of splurging is
higher than ever.

Who can relate to this? If you are one of those people who spend time online and still end up spending money that is unbudgeted and unnecessary, these tips are for you.

1. SALES! 50% OFF ! BUY 2 GET FREE SHIPPING!
Stop right there! This right here is one of the top reasons people splurge. There’s ALWAYS
going to be sales so don’t give in to the reasoning that you’ll ‘miss out’ if you don’t get it
right at that moment.

2. GET A GRIP ON YOUR IMPULSES
Understand your spending triggers so you’re not tempted to make thoughtless purchases by
the undisciplined thinking that is; “If i have the money sitting around, i’ll spend it”.
If by chance your attention is hooked by something the algorithm shows you, here’s what you
can try: Click into the redirected link and browse through ALL of the items in that website –
that way, the initial impulse of ‘want’ will temper down with the exposure of many other
similar items while letting the reality of the price set in.

3. STICK TO GOOD OLD CASH
But you’re online! How are you supposed to use cash anyway? Well, that’s the beauty of
this strategy. If you just remind yourself ‘Use Cash ONLY’, you’re cutting off any other
possibility of alternative payment methods hence reducing the opportunities of unnecessary
purchases.

With cash, you physically see how much you have, and how much of your funds are
diminishing with each purchase. The ease with which you can overspend is too easy; when
you’re nonchalantly handing over our card to make a purchase, you’re often not aware of how
much everything will add up at the end of the month.

4. DON’T OPEN SHOPPING APPS OR WEBSITES FOR FUN
Another reason we tend to spend beyond our means online is from ‘bored browsing’. Think
of it like when we physically window shop – the only difference is, you don’t get tired out
from walking so instead, you’re scrolling through stores after stores for hours on end and your
total bill ends up a bomb.

If you’re not looking for a SPECIFIC item where you can just pop in, drop into cart and
checkout, DON’T open any virtual shopping platforms because you’ll surely get distracted by
all the array of items that keep popping up the deeper you dive into each product page.

5. SAVE MY DETAILS FOR FASTER ‘CONVENIENCE’.
Congratulations! You’ve just enabled a smoother transfer of finances out of your pocket.
Jokes aside, not only is this giving free rein to your impulse or mood buying sprees, leaving
your banking details there is a risky financial step that leaves you vulnerable and open to

hackers.

6. SET A TIGTER BUDGET FOR VIRTUAL SHOPPING

Occasionally, it is inevitable and unavoidable that we purchase the things we need online.
After all, it’s no secret that one can find the same items at a cheaper price online compared to
in-store prices.

Thus, a budget is crucial to keep yourself in check. Make your budget an even smaller one
compared to the budget you have set for in-store purchases – With a lot more variety on offer
and just one click away, it’s a slippery slope from cost-saving purchases to buying more of
what you don’t need.