Psychoanalysing: Rational spending vs. Impulse buying
By Florenne Earle Ledger published 18/11/2021
We love an impulse buy just as much as anyone, but with Christmas around the corner and the amount of returned clothing in landfill increasing, maybe it’s time to reconsider the fine line between what we need and what is simply an impulse purchase we will later throw away.
Have you ever wondered about the psychology behind rational and impulse spending in relation to our self-confidence?
We talk to Tiwalola Ogunlesi, confidence coach and founder for @confidentandkillingit, about how our self-esteem plays a part in our decision to make impulse purchases.
Define the difference between impulse and rational spending?
Impulse spending is essentially buying in the moment, you don’t really think about it much. You’re there and it’s an emotional need, you buy from an emotional place. Whereas rational purchases are more thought through, from the rational part of your brain. Impulse buying comes from the back of your brain called the amygdala, that’s where you make emotional decisions to satisfy a need based on emotions. Rational spending comes from the prefrontal cortex, the rational side of your brain.
Is there space for impulse spending in a sustainable future? How might impulse purchases be considered bad for the environment?
If you think about it, life is an emotional roller coaster, so if you shop every time you’re feeling down or every time you’re stressed, it will lead to overconsumption. When you’re over consuming it’s more of a demand on the environment. But no one’s perfect right? So I won’t say there’s no room for impulse spending because sometimes an impulse buy can be a really good deal because you were just shopping and you find exactly what you have been looking for and decide to buy it, so I wouldn’t say there is no space for impulse buying whatsoever, we just have to make sure we are not over consuming. If you know you are an impulse buyer then think of the full life cycle of what you are buying. Let’s say you buy a dress impulsively, think how you can use the dress. Whether you lend it to a friend, or rent it on an app, or resell it. Consider other options rather than throwing it away.
How does capitalism influence our relationship with impulse spending?
Capitalism thrives on overconsumption because overconsumption makes more money, but it is really bad for the environment. We see so many ads like ‘you deserve it’, and that’s one of the ways ads trigger impulse spending. You tell yourself ‘I deserve this’ or ‘Oh I’m stressed I need this item to make myself feel better’, but material things cannot satisfy underlying human needs. When ads say buy this lipstick and you’ll feel more confident, a lipstick is not going to make you feel confident if you don’t already have that confidence inside of you. It’s really understanding that if you want to feel less stressed and manage your emotions, buying material things isn’t going to get you there, that requires deep work that you invest in yourself and in your personal growth. We just have to be aware of the messages they teach us in marketing and ads that material things will solve our issues. Material can only solve superficial needs, they are not going to solve our deep human desires to be seen and be heard and know what we matter. We need to be aware not everything we have been told is true. We need to have a mindset to question what society tells us and be able to make our own decisions.
How can rational purchases make us more confident by making a positive impact on our lives?
Rational purchases stop us from feeling guilty. I don’t know about you but sometimes the guilt and the regret that you feel are not worth the rush from the impulse purchase. Confidence is about an in-depth belief in yourself and your abilities, so remember that irrational spending has consequences on the environment and your financial future. When you make rational purchases you will feel more confident because you are in control of your life. When you shop impulsively your emotions are controlling you and you feel helpless, at the mercy of your emotions. When you shop rationally you feel confident and disciplined, in charge of your emotions. We need more confidence to make better decisions and to be able to trust ourselves.If you make bad decisions you aren’t going to be able to trust yourself and you’ll start a narrative in your mind about how you’re really bad at saving or you really lack discipline, and then that becomes your reality. Being a rational spender allows you to look at yourself in a positive light and have more confidence.
Tiwa's tips to avoid impulse buying
- Bring yourself into the present. Impulse buying happens when you’re on autopilot, you’re not really in the present moment. So the first thing to do is to bring yourself back to the present moment to be rational.
- Give yourself time to think. If you see something you really want, don’t just stop at the ‘I deserve it’, play it out in your head: Do I have anything to wear this to? How many times have I bought a dress like this and never worn it? What am I going to do with it if I still haven’t worn it in a few months? How is this purchase going to impact my finances? What is the effect on the environment if I buy this? Play out the full movie. Think about what happens after the purchase.
- Don’t shop when you’re upset or in your feelings. It’s the same thing as using food for comfort which similarly doesn’t solve your emotions. Journalising and processing your emotions will actually help you. As I say we are human, a bit of retail therapy is sometimes is needed, I’ll be the first to admit. Be kind to yourself, it’s okay to make the occasional impulse buy, just don’t make it a habit.
- Have a budget. I use apps like Monzo that categorise everything so I can budget how much I want to spend on shopping per month. For me, I only shop twice a year, usually in spring and maybe in December time.
Thank you to Tiwa for showing us what it means to truly care for ourselves and reminding us to trust our own judgement of what will fulfil our needs. Follow Tiwa and her confidence-focused community on Instagram for more inspiration and guidance on how to live your best life as a confident and positive individual ✨
Something on your mind?
Share your thoughts with Whering community.
If you have an idea for an article around fashion, culture, environment, news, wellness, shopping or DIY, submit a pitch to us!