We’ve all experienced it—you pop into a shop for one thing and end up leaving with a basket filled with products you never intended to purchase. Impulse spending is one of the largest challenges to saving money, and it can sabotage your financial plans if you’re not mindful. The good news is that overcoming spontaneous purchases is possible, and with a little discipline and a few simple strategies, you can start saving more money and making wiser spending decisions. The key is to identify the triggers behind your spending and shift those behaviors with positive, money-saving behaviours.

The first step to reducing impulsive buying is to create a budget and follow it. Knowing exactly how much money you have allocated for extras each month can help you resist the urge to purchase items impulsively. When you see something you are tempted to purchase, give yourself a cooling-off period—give it a day before pulling the trigger. This gives you time to evaluate whether you actually need the product or if it’s just financial advice an unnecessary desire. Usually, you’ll find that the desire to buy fades, and you’ll avoid spending money needlessly.

Another useful idea is to limit your exposure to temptation. If buying online is your challenge, remove yourself from mailing lists and remove saved payment details from your favourite retail sites. If you tend to spend impulsively in person, avoid bringing your credit cards and use only cash. By putting limits on your ability to spend, you’ll have more time to think about your purchases and avoid getting caught in impulsive buying habits. Overcoming impulse spending may take time, but the benefits over time—greater savings and lower money worries—are definitely rewarding.