Is impulse shopping draining your bank account? Try this method to save money

It’s so easy to get lost in your phone, scrolling, clicking and filling up your shopping cart with things you don’t need.

There’s a social media movement trying to cure impulse shopping. It’s called slow shopping, and consumer adviser Andrea Woroch says it works.

“I love slow shopping because this suggests you take your time to make a purchase,” Woroch said.

Slow shopping is a financial trend that encourages people to be more intentional with their spending and purchases, Woroch said. The goal is to be more mindful with what you’re buying, why you’re buying it, and how much you’re spending on the purchase, she said. Whether it’s taking an hour, a day, or a week, the idea is to step back and really think about how you’re using your money when you shop.

“Instead of grabbing an item that wasn’t on your shopping list, walk away, continue your shopping trip, pick up everything that’s on your actual list, and if that item is still on top of mind, go back and buy it,” Woroch said. “Just make sure you review the return policy to see if it’s something you can bring back without any kind of penalty.”

There are many benefits from slow shopping, according to Woroch.

• By being more mindful of your spending, you can dodge impulse purchases driven by fear or missing out on a deal
• Slow shopping can give you time to get a better price and find a coupon
• It allows you the ability to save up and collect rewards and cash back to pay for some of or all of the purchase

The downside may be missing out on a deal or going back for an item and it’s out of stock, Woroch said. Tracking price drops with browser tools like Honey’s Droplist is a great way to avoid missing out on sales, she said.

“I kind of can be kind of an impulse buyer,” Hudson shopper Mike Bohane said. “If I know I need something, I’ll kind of look at it and if I’m still thinking about it like a week later, I’ll come back to it.”

West Roxbury resident Ryan Garey said he now slow shops by placing items in his shopping cart, then waiting several days before following through on the purchase.

“I’ve learned to just leave it in the cart, and go back to it,” Garey said. “If it’s there in a week or two and I really still want it, I’ll purchase it.”

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