{"id":483,"date":"2006-09-12T10:00:15","date_gmt":"2006-09-12T17:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/2006\/09\/12\/control-impulse-spending-with-the-30-day-rule\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T13:15:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T19:15:05","slug":"control-impulse-spending-with-the-30-day-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/control-impulse-spending-with-the-30-day-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"Control impulse spending with the 30-day rule"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"coin<\/p>\n

I made a trip to Costco to buy business supplies last week. While browsing the software, I spotted the latest version of Quicken. I picked up the box and looked at the list of new features. I felt that urge creep upon me \u2014 the urge to spend<\/i>. “Maybe the Mac version is out, too,” I thought. “I should stop by Fry’s to check.”<\/p>\n

Then I thought of the $50 it would cost to upgrade. I thought how Quicken 2004 has served me well for three years. I began to have doubts. “I’ll use the 30-day rule,” I told myself. “If I still want this next month, I’ll buy it.”<\/p>\n

Related >><\/strong> How to Track Your Spending (and why you should)<\/a><\/p>\n

The 30-day Rule is a Simple Method to Control Impulse Spending.<\/h2>\n

Here’s how it works:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Whenever you feel the urge to splurge<\/a> \u2014 whether it’s for new shoes, a new videogame, or a new car \u2014 force yourself to stop. If you’re already holding the item, put it back. Leave the store.<\/li>\n
  2. When you get home, take a piece of paper and write down the name of the item, the store where you found it, and the price. Also write down the date.<\/li>\n
  3. Now post this note someplace obvious: a calendar, the fridge, a bulletin board. (I use a text file on my computer.)<\/li>\n
  4. For the next thirty days, think whether you really want the item, but do not buy it.<\/li>\n
  5. If, at the end of a month, the urge is still there, then consider purchasing it. (But do not use credit to do so<\/i>.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    That’s all there is to it. But it’s surprisingly effective. The 30-day rule works especially well because you aren’t actually denying yourself \u2014 you’re simply delaying gratification. This rule has another advantage: it gives you a chance to research the item you want to purchase. This can save you from grief.<\/p>\n

    Related >> <\/strong>How to Cure a Spending Hangover<\/a><\/p>\n

    For example, after returning from my Costco trip last week, I checked the reviews on Amazon. Quicken 2007 for Mac<\/a> gets 1-1\/2 stars! Yikes!<\/i> Still, I added it to my wishlist. A month from now, if I still feel I need it, I may allow myself to buy it.<\/p>\n

    I began using the 30-day rule about two years ago. I don’t always remember to follow it, but when I do, it works well. Sometimes my urge to spend is gone by the time I get home. Sometimes the urge grows stronger for a week or two, but then subsides completely. It’s rare that I decide I need something after 30 days of waiting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \"coin<\/p>\n

    I made a trip to Costco to buy business supplies last week. While browsing the software, I spotted the latest version of Quicken. I picked up the box and looked at the list of new features. I felt that urge creep upon me \u2014 the urge to spend<\/i>. “Maybe the Mac version is out, too,” I thought. “I should stop by Fry’s to check.”<\/p>\n

    Then I thought of the $50 it would cost to upgrade. I thought how Quicken 2004 has served me well for three years. I began to have doubts. “I’ll use the 30-day rule,” I told myself. “If I still want this next month, I’ll buy it.”<\/\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3287,"featured_media":237020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[31919],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}