I can list so many things I love about working from home but there are downsides, too. One is that I am online for the majority of the day and I can check eBay or Amazon or Etsy anytime I want. And seeing that I can never say no to all things cute or pretty, this is not good for my financial health. So I came up with ways to stop myself from clicking ADD TO CART and CHECKOUT. I hope that these ways to curb online shopping help you, too. These are tried and tested methods, I should add.

1. Get Creative

Photo Credit: mondopanno

Whenever you notice yourself clicking through items for sale, get up, and do something else. I suggest getting creative; bake, sew, paint, cook, draw. Tackling a project sure has helped me save a lot of money. It helps that my sewing table is right beside my desk.

2. Ask Someone’s Opinion

Let’s say you’re crushing on a pair of shoes and you’re THIS close to buying them. Before you click BUY, send the link to your boyfriend or best friend. Ask them if they think they’re right for you. Ask them for their honest opinion. If they tell you why you should not purchase the item or items, do not question their opinion. Unless you really need to buy said items.

3. Budget

Photo Credit: Jonathan_W

Shopping bans seldom work. Believe me, I know. So if you can’t stop yourself from buying anything, give yourself a monthly budget that you can spend wholly for shopping. I suggest a budget that is a very small fraction of your monthly salary. This way, you will learn to save up if you want to buy something particularly expensive.

4. Another Time

Say you saw something online that you think you cannot live without. But if you buy it, you will eat nothing but air for several days. One of the effective ways to curb online shopping is to leave the purchase for another time. What works for me is checking if I still feel the same about the item after three weeks. Often, by the time I check on the item again, I no longer feel strongly about it.