6 life hacks for those who find it difficult not to spend all their money immediately after payday.

Allocate money for pleasant little things and don’t rush to pay for large purchases right away.

When a push notification from the bank informs that another nice amount has been added to the card, many find it difficult to resist spending half the money in the coming days. And then such people have to live in austerity mode for most of the month in order to survive until their next salary. We have collected lifehacks that can reduce spontaneous spending.

1. Set aside money immediately for necessary expenses.

A banal rule that probably everyone who has tried to plan a budget has heard of. But it does not keep many from spontaneous purchases, because a person spends money first, and only then remembers planning. The idea of ​​a reasonable distribution of funds comes to him in a situation where there is practically nothing left to put into virtual envelopes.

One simple rule can keep you from making spontaneous purchases: the first action you should take after receiving your salary is to set aside money for necessary expenses. In order not to think for a long time, it is worth making a list of them in advance. And for each category of expenses, select your own bank account: “Taxes”, “Utilities, communications, Internet”, “Loan payments”, “Training”, “Inventories”.

Everyone will have their own list. But the main thing is to remember: any purchases can be made only after transferring money to each of the required accounts.

Consider this rule as analogous to the law according to which you first lock the front door with a key, and then call the elevator or go down the stairs. Not the other way around. Remember the “key and door” every time you want to look at the marketplace first and then start planning.

As a result, you will have a much smaller amount available to you than immediately after receiving your salary. And if you spend some of it irrationally, the blow to the budget will be much weaker.

2. Set aside a small amount for spontaneous purchases

Sudden purchases top the list of reckless things Russians did in 2023. And it is unlikely that anything will change in the future.

After all, completely prohibiting yourself from spending money impulsively is about the same as switching to the strictest food diet. Sooner or later, the restrictions may seem unbearable, and the person will break down. Anyone who restricts themselves in calories may at some point suddenly discover that they have eaten half the food in the refrigerator. And the adherent of austerity said that he again spent almost all his money on the marketplace.

To avoid a breakdown, you can allocate a certain percentage of your income in advance for unexpected purchases. Decide for yourself how much you feel comfortable spending, so that you don’t want to scold yourself for wastefulness later.

You can put 3-5% of each income into a separate account. And call it, for example, “Money for pleasant things.”

The main thing is that you can spend the funds from this account completely irrationally, without thinking about savings and benefits. A trip to a cafe, an extra cake, new headphones, cosmetics, a tattoo - you can choose whatever makes you happy.

Let the amount spent be very small. For many, it is not the cost of the purchase that is important, but the fact that at least sometimes they have the right to spend money without much thought. And they won’t reproach themselves for it.

3. Don’t buy the thing you like right away - look for where it’s cheaper

This rule will help you catch two birds with one stone. Firstly, you can really find what you want at a big discount. The second advantage is less obvious, but also very useful: while you are looking for the thing you like on neighboring resources, you will definitely have time to think about whether you really need it. If you find that you hate spending time searching and comparing prices, then the purchase is unlikely to be necessary.

Therefore, if you want to immediately click on the “buy in one click” button, but there is no need to read reviews and look for what you want on another marketplace, postpone the purchase at least until tomorrow. Better yet, add the product to your favorites and promise yourself to return to it in three days. Perhaps you will have time to change your mind.

4. Add the products you like to your favorites, not to your cart

This rule will help you avoid making spontaneous purchases online. Yes, you can immediately place the selected item in the cart, but postpone purchasing it. However, in this case, your brain will remember that you have unfinished business. This means coming back to him all the time.

Perhaps you will constantly remember about goods that are almost yours, and each time you make a decision - pay immediately or wait a little longer. As a result, to finally end this cycle, you decide to either purchase the product now and forget about the agony of choice, or remove the item from the cart.

But it’s not a fact that you will choose the second option - often in such situations people part with money and then regret the thoughtless purchase.

If things are in your favorites, you don’t need to urgently decide what to do with them. The brain is calm: there are no unfinished orders. You can add at least a hundred or two products to this section and periodically open the favorites section. That is, visit the mini-department of the marketplace or online store you created. This will make it easier for you to track price dynamics and place orders during discount periods. Or delete products if, the next time you view them, you find that they no longer evoke emotions in you.

Well, if the chosen jacket or coffee maker seems very necessary to you for a month, you can place an order. If, of course, you have free money. So the purchase will definitely no longer be spontaneous.

5. Keep an eye on your bank's cashback categories

The banking application always contains information about current promotions. If you regularly monitor which partners of a financial organization provide the most favorable conditions and which products receive the maximum cashback, you can save a lot of money.

For example, you want to buy a new smartphone. The banking application contains information that next month the financial institution will pay not the traditional 3%, but as much as 10% cashback for the purchase of equipment and electronics. There is a week left until the start of the month, and no one is predicting a sharp increase in prices for smartphones.

This means that you can wait a few days and purchase the selected model, knowing that 10% of its cost will be returned to your card. This is a good reason to stop yourself from making a spontaneous purchase and not heading to the electronics store immediately.

6. Think about what else you could buy instead of the product you like

This technique will help you better understand what you really want and distinguish real needs from momentary impulses.

Before placing an order, think about what purchases for a similar amount would also please you. Find at least five options. Perhaps after this you decide not to place an order, but to purchase something else. Whatever you find more useful and valuable.

For example, you really liked a dress for 7,000 rubles. Think about what you could buy instead, but for the same money.

Don't limit your imagination. It's better to take a piece of paper or open a file and write down all the ideas that come to mind. The list may include, for example, a set of jewelry, a mini-course in cooking, professional watercolor paints and good quality paper, a month of online foreign language training, a new haircut, manicure and hair coloring, a weekend getaway outside the city.

Choose which of these purchases will give you the strongest emotional response. Maybe you should choose that instead of a dress. Such an acquisition has less chance of being accidental and thoughtless.

If you do this exercise regularly, you can achieve two goals. Firstly, it is better to understand what you really want. Secondly, it’s good to imagine how much your desires cost. After all, before you add an attractive item or service to the list, you will need to clarify its price. This approach can also reduce the likelihood of accidental spending.