Are you being robbed?
Are you losing money without even noticing?
Online shopping makes it almost too easy to lose money without noticing. But I love online shopping. One click, and it’s on my doorstep. Groceries, clothing, household items, whatever I need… it just shows up. Sometimes I can order something and it will be on my doorstep within hours. It’s so easy!
It’s not just me. Amazon vans are in every neighborhood, every day. But here’s the danger: the easier it is to buy, the harder it is to notice what we’re losing—our money, and even our happiness.
How much money are you losing?
Here’s a little test:
· Have you ever purchased something, then it shows up and you don’t even remember what you ordered?
· Have you ever had a box arrive and you set it on the counter for days and don’t even open it?
· Have you ever ordered the same thing more than once because you forgot that you already ordered it?
I’ve done ALL of those things.
The ease of online ordering can take away the anticipation. Research shows that looking forward to a purchase can bring more happiness than the purchase itself. When we skip the waiting, we often trade joy for guilt, stress, or remorse.
Before Christmas last year, I sat with my 6 year old granddaughter as she looked through a toy magazine and she told me all the things she wanted for Christmas. So we decided to circle them. We counted when we were done and there were over 100 items. A few weeks later, I asked her about the things we had circled and out of all of them, what were the top 3 things that she wanted. Her response, after thinking about it was, “I can’t remember what I circled.” Her forgotten wish list reminded me how quickly our desires can fade, but our spending doesn’t.
Immediate gratification may be robbing you. Robbing you not only of joy, but also of a significant amount of money. But the good news is, you can take control.
Robbery in Plain Sight: 5 Ways to Fight Back:
1. Wait before you buy. Put the items in your cart and leave them there for at least 24 hours – or maybe even a week. Then go back and evaluate. Do you still want or need them?
2. Set a limit. Pre-purchase a gift card each month for Amazon, or Walmart, or Target, or wherever your favorite online store is, and use only that amount for your purchases that month. When it is gone, it is gone.
3. Use wish lists. Add the things you would like to have to a wish list and share it when others are looking for gift ideas for you. With Amazon, they will notify you when your wish list items go on sale.
4. Check subscriptions. Evaluate your auto-ship list. You may have a stock pile of something, or don’t have a need any more for a particular thing that is on your subscription list.
5. Stop scroll shopping. When you are bored and start scrolling for things you don’t need, don’t necessarily even want, things that just show up while you are looking at something else, or just anything that will make you feel better right then… that is the worst time to shop. Go for a walk instead :)
Changing your money habits isn’t about deprivation—it’s about reclaiming both your joy and your money. These small shifts add up, and as your financial coach, I’ll help you put them into action so you can reach your bigger goals. When you change your money, you change your life.