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If you have turned on the news or opened social media this week, you might notice that your impulse spending feels out of control. Or that you are at least telling yourself no to a lot more things, but it is a matter of time before the self control wears thin.
Here is the thing- Your brain is actively trying to “buy happiness.” When you anticipate spending money, your brain releases dopamine to the pleasure/ reward pathway. In a VERY simplified version of psychology, dopamine = happiness. A prime example of this is every 90’s / 2000’s movie that had a breakup and went, bought everything at the mall, maxed out the credit cards, and “felt better.”
However, the dopamine often doesn’t care about the long term effects of the happiness. So while spending money right now might feel good, it might not be the best thing for your budget or your long term financial picture.
When helping people with their money habits, my goal is to help you find some alternatives that you can use sometimes so that impulse spending isn’t ALWAYS the answer. Society has made “little treats” as a consistent convo. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way, but I have had moments where I get a little treat and then I don’t even ENJOY it. It gets wasted or I am not even present enough to relish in the treat. THIS is the problem I want to solve with this blog post.
I actually wrote a whole guide on lowering your impulse spending and part of it is finding other alternatives you can lean on.
The first step is being aware that you are doing it. This might take time for you to notice the pattern. But now that you are aware that this happens,
Here are the things that I am doing to help reduce spending when I want to buy happiness:
In order to create this list, I looked at other things that create dopamine in that same part of the brain, but it can also be things you genuinely enjoy too. Also, be present in what you are doing.
- Physical contact (a hug, snuggles, other)
- FaceTime a friend – there are some studies that show seeing someone smile boosts our mood
- Exercise – if you have ever seen legally blonde, this is the one that makes me giggle. Exercise boosts our endorphins / dopamine and can help
- Volunteering
- Enjoying comfort food or favorite foods
- Reading a good book – bonus if you go to the library for a free book shopping spree!
- Sharing something good with community (like this one)
- Doomscrolling (not necessarily health, but can be used if you aren’t purchasing from influencers here)
- A random act of kindness for someone else
- Something creative- art, coloring, music
- Cranking music loud and moving my body
- Donating money you would have spent to an important cause
And occasionally, a little treat is important.
Don’t tell yourself no all of the time. Plan for it.
There is some psychology that shows the anticipation of the treat is actually more helpful to our brain than actually getting the treat. So pick a day or two and budget for the treat that you want.
Example: Every Saturday while I was bartending, I would get coffee. It was my longest day and the end of my week and it gave me something to look forward to. AND it meant that I didn’t get it every single day. I also enjoyed the coffee MORE because it truly was a treat.
Listen, I am NOT telling you to look away from the news. Stay informed. This list is a way to help you take care of yourself while staying informed.
If Impulse spending really is a struggle for you and it isn’t just a season, I created my Intentional Spend Guide as 9 steps to lowering your impulse spending!
