3 Ways to Avoid Impulse Shopping on Cyber ​​Monday

Keep more of your money and avoid the guilt.

Key points

• There are benefits to shopping on Cyber ​​Monday instead of Black Friday and other major events.
• Although you are less likely to fall victim to impulse buying when shopping online, it is still possible.
• There are steps you can take to avoid impulse purchases online, such as setting a budget, rewarding yourself, and perhaps planning to spend a little on impulse purchases.

We are preparing major commercial events: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber ​​Monday. And the latter may seem like your best bet for holiday shopping.

The beauty of Cyber ​​Monday is that you can get great deals without having to leave home. This means not having to fight crowds and not being the victim of impulse purchases.

Or does it? You may be less likely to give in to impulse purchases online because you aren’t looking at the physical items in front of you. But retailers are great at online marketing, which means they’re adept at finding ways to convince online shoppers to make unplanned purchases.

These days, there are sophisticated algorithms that marketers can use to target marketing efforts based on consumers’ personal habits. In other words, while shopping, you might see ads for items you’re more likely to buy. (If that sounds scary, you’re right – it is.) And so you could end up with a bigger credit card tab even if you limit your vacation shopping to online browsing only.

The good news, however, is that there are steps you can take to avoid impulse buying on Cyber ​​Monday. Here’s how.

1. Set a budget before you shop

When you don’t try to stick to a specific spending limit, it’s easier to end up impulse buying. But if you set a budget for Cyber ​​Monday, you’re less likely to overdo it.

Let’s say you put yourself on a budget of $300 for Cyber ​​Monday, and you also have seven gifts to buy. If you insist on buying all these gifts and then see how you fare budget-wise, you might eliminate impulse buying.

2. Reward yourself for sticking to a list

There may be specific items you want to pick up on Cyber ​​Monday – for example, toys for your nieces and nephews, a new tablet for your significant other, and kitchen gadgets for your parents. If you offer a reward for sticking to your list, you may be more motivated to do so. Your reward could be anything from a fancy latte the next morning at your favorite cafe to a takeout dinner as a reward for your discipline.

3. Indulge in impulse buying – within reason

A good way to avoid impulse purchases could, ironically, be to allow yourself impulse purchases. Let’s say you have a Cyber ​​Monday shopping list, but you also allow yourself $50 in impulse purchases on top of that. This could save you from racking up $150 in unexpected purchases instead.

While shopping online can help keep you focused on your holiday bucket list, it’s still possible to be tempted by different items, especially if the bargains seem deep and plentiful. But the last thing you want is to end the holiday season with a pile of debt in your name. And the less you are the victim of impulse purchases, the less likely it is to happen.