As clichéd as they may be, wishlists are responsible for keeping my purchases in check. I dump everything I need or want into one huge list that reminds me about all the nice things I could possibly spend my money on. I regularly compile a "most wanted" list, which helps make impulse buying redundant.
Wishlists keep things in perspective; that new item doesn't always look quite so appealing when sat alongside five dozen others. It suddenly becomes obvious how easy it is to spend on a whim and how that money could be better spent when properly considered. By keeping track of all the "I wants" in list form, the impulse to buy now is suddenly not so strong. It becomes obvious how many purchases could have been made on impulse and based on compulsion rather than need. You find yourself not wanting so much; that new beauty product doesn't look quite so hot next to one that you've been dying to purchase for months and that cheap dress isn't quite so lovely when you consider how wonderful it will be when you can finally afford that designer bag.
Wishlists could knock all the fun out of shopping, mentally running through the pros and cons to every purchase is not exactly a riot. But ultimately you end up being thrilled with each and every single purchase because you know it's definitely the one that you wanted to make. I think that is a lot more satisfying than impulse buying ever was.
The best places to keep a wishlist:
- Amazon