Personal Stories

Trapped In A Suffocating Cycle, Impulse Spending Gave Me Emotional Damage

This is the last time. I tell myself. But the moment comes when I just must get this dress that is on sale. Someone tries to grab it too, and in a frenzy, I snatch it off the shelf. It’s mine now! Then comes me taking out my credit card for the swipe. Beep! Then comes the realisation that I was only chasing instant gratification, only to suffer for the rest of the month. That’s me when it comes to impulse spending. I know that going over budget to buy things I don’t actually need is harmful, yet I still can’t seem to stop myself. Just take the tinted sunscreen I bought a few days ago. (What?!) Stuck on a never-ending loop of buy, regret and repeatIt all started with temptation. I was just passing by when I noticed that one of my favourite sunscreen brands was having a roadshow. They were promoting a new tinted sunscreen that was said to be ultra-light and could brighten the skin tone. Then came infatuation.Do I need a new sunscreen? No. Do I have money to splurge on this? No. But my mind kept thinking of how my skin would look so good. Not to mention, it was 30% off! And just like that, the purchase happened. At first, I was really excited to try it out. The sunscreen worked exactly as it promised, and I was happy using it. But regret soon crept in, as I realised I screwed up my budget for the month.I would then spend the next few days regretting my purchase. That money could have gone to better use — groceries, paying off my college debt, or even setting aside extra savings to replace my worn-out light bulb.Instead, I spent it on sunscreen that I already have, just because I want to indulge the thrill of trying new things.Every month, I go through the same cycle, from the temptation all the way to regret. I understand that I have let myself stay trapped in it for far too long.I am aware of my lack of self-control when it comes to splurges, so I have made plans to break out of this cycle.I started applying the 24-hour rule by postponing my purchases for a day. It doesn’t always work, but at least I have a mental checklist for me to take a step back before diving in nose deep.I’m also limiting my impulse splurges to cash only, which helps lessen credit card bill shocks.​This article is part of TSS Confessions, a weekly column where we delve into personal finance topics that are unscripted and genuine real accounts from people.