Comments on: Small Item Impluse Control http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:31:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: JMK http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-40337 JMK Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:17:36 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-40337 If I'm considering a small unnecessary purchase I try converting it into an equivalent in travel money. If I see it in terms of something given up then I can decide which is more important. New DVD vs. admission to the Louvre? Dinner out for no special reason vs. gondola ride in Venice? Once I put it in perspective travel almost always wins out over the less memorable thing in my hand. If I’m considering a small unnecessary purchase I try converting it into an equivalent in travel money. If I see it in terms of something given up then I can decide which is more important. New DVD vs. admission to the Louvre? Dinner out for no special reason vs. gondola ride in Venice? Once I put it in perspective travel almost always wins out over the less memorable thing in my hand.

]]> By: eldeneush http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-36201 eldeneush Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:35:39 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-36201 Credit you championing details. It helped me in my responsibility Credit you championing details. It helped me in my responsibility

]]> By: RR Top 5: In The News Edition(?) | Realizing Retirement http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-30810 RR Top 5: In The News Edition(?) | Realizing Retirement Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:04:09 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-30810 [...] Dream writes about Small Item Impulse Control when [...] [...] Dream writes about Small Item Impulse Control when [...]

]]> By: Caitlin http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-30766 Caitlin Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:57:52 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-30766 @Canadian Money I think of impulse buying as not including things like "stumbling upon a sale for an item you wanted anyway". I think of impulse buying as buying something you didn't know you wanted until you saw it for sale (whether <i>on sale</i> or otherwise). A chocolate bar at the grocery checkout, a DVD you had forgotten existed but had a passing interest in watching, a big screen TV you buy because it's on sale before you've even done <i>any</i> research or comparison shopping, etc. Items you can either live without, or can get for free at the library (or equivalent) that you buy because you see them while out buying other things. @Canadian Money
I think of impulse buying as not including things like “stumbling upon a sale for an item you wanted anyway”. I think of impulse buying as buying something you didn’t know you wanted until you saw it for sale (whether on sale or otherwise). A chocolate bar at the grocery checkout, a DVD you had forgotten existed but had a passing interest in watching, a big screen TV you buy because it’s on sale before you’ve even done any research or comparison shopping, etc. Items you can either live without, or can get for free at the library (or equivalent) that you buy because you see them while out buying other things.

]]> By: George http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-30708 George Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:49:32 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-30708 If the impulse items you've buying are things like books and DVDs, I've found that a focus on decluttering works wonders to avoid purchasing new things. If you spend several hours purging your home of the excess crap you've accumulated over the years, it'll make you think twice about buying new crap to take its place. I haven't bought a DVD or book in several years now - the library and the video store work fine for me, especially now that we have children. If the impulse items you’ve buying are things like books and DVDs, I’ve found that a focus on decluttering works wonders to avoid purchasing new things.

If you spend several hours purging your home of the excess crap you’ve accumulated over the years, it’ll make you think twice about buying new crap to take its place.

I haven’t bought a DVD or book in several years now – the library and the video store work fine for me, especially now that we have children.

]]> By: Canadian Money http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-30706 Canadian Money Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:44:25 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-30706 What is impulse buying? A fast decision? Stumbling upon a good deal? We all need entertainment of some kind. Our monthly spending tally sheet includes an entertainment category. A quick look suggests it has been about 5-10 % of total annual spending. Our so called entertainment includes wine and holiday travel costs such as BC Ferries and Hotels but not restaurants or boating. Its a personal definition but it works as a constant measuring stick for spending. We don't have a category for "impulse spending". Maybe that is part of the issue here. Seems to me...as long as one's entertainment category, or any other category is within what one defines as being within a reasonable range...there is no problem. If we stumble upon something we have been meaning to buy anyway...or find it on sale...impulse buying can be a good thing. What is impulse buying? A fast decision? Stumbling upon a good deal?

We all need entertainment of some kind. Our monthly spending tally sheet includes an entertainment category. A quick look suggests it has been about 5-10 % of total annual spending. Our so called entertainment includes wine and holiday travel costs such as BC Ferries and Hotels but not restaurants or boating. Its a personal definition but it works as a constant measuring stick for spending.

We don’t have a category for “impulse spending”. Maybe that is part of the issue here. Seems to me…as long as one’s entertainment category, or any other category is within what one defines as being within a reasonable range…there is no problem.

If we stumble upon something we have been meaning to buy anyway…or find it on sale…impulse buying can be a good thing.

]]> By: Breanne http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/08/05/small-item-impluse-control/comment-page-1/#comment-30704 Breanne Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:22:45 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=881#comment-30704 Couple of ideas... When going out for something with a small fixed cost (like milk), take only enough cash to cover it. Leave the credit/debit cards at home. You can only spend what you've got. :-) To expand on that, you can give yourself a "small stuff" allowance. $10/mo (or whatever) to blow on whatever little thing catches your fancy. Write it down whenever you spend some of that money. Once it's gone, it's gone. By giving yourself a fixed amount to spend, you'll find yourself having to make a choice every time you want to dip into that reserve -- "do I really want this? What if there's something more I want later?" If you really want, you can even reduce that amount over time until you've basically reduced the spending. But I think there's some value in allowing yourself a little bit of play money for the "little things". Otherwise, you can find yourself in a situation where it's very difficult for you to spend money on anything (that's where I've been recently, and it's almost as bad as spending more than you want. And it's hard to train yourself out of :-)) Couple of ideas…

When going out for something with a small fixed cost (like milk), take only enough cash to cover it. Leave the credit/debit cards at home. You can only spend what you’ve got. :-)

To expand on that, you can give yourself a “small stuff” allowance. $10/mo (or whatever) to blow on whatever little thing catches your fancy. Write it down whenever you spend some of that money. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. By giving yourself a fixed amount to spend, you’ll find yourself having to make a choice every time you want to dip into that reserve — “do I really want this? What if there’s something more I want later?”

If you really want, you can even reduce that amount over time until you’ve basically reduced the spending. But I think there’s some value in allowing yourself a little bit of play money for the “little things”. Otherwise, you can find yourself in a situation where it’s very difficult for you to spend money on anything (that’s where I’ve been recently, and it’s almost as bad as spending more than you want. And it’s hard to train yourself out of :-) )

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