How to manage buyer’s remorse in a culture of consumption

We have all made an impulsive purchase at some point or another and have later come to regret it. 

Buyer’s remorse is a moment of cognitive dissonance, where someone feels bad after buying something. It can be an indicator of irresponsible financial habits but can also be overwhelmingly present when it’s uncalled for.

Depending on your economic situation, buyer’s remorse manifests at varying intensities and with different implications. This being said, that conflicting inner dialogue boils down to the pressing distress of “did I make the right choice?”

Although this contemplation and doubt can never fully be avoided, there are certainly some ways you can manage it.

Put your emotions on the backburner

Promotional material and advertisements prey on emotive responses. For example, you may feel desperate to buy that cosmetic product because it claims to immediately make your complexion glow brighter or make your skin so much softer. It is important to pause and reach a point of rationale instead of relying on initial emotions to decide whether a certain investment will actually bring value to your life.

Pre-plan a budget

This is not a new concept, but preparing a structure for your finances can relieve that sense of uncertainty and discomfort  when making a purchase. You can sit down on a weekly or monthly basis, assess your plans and designate a certain amount for your spending habits. When making this budget, ensure that it is within your financial means and that you stick to it religiously.

Steer clear of credit when possible

The simple tapping motion when making a transaction with a debit or credit card can blind you from the build up of debt you may be collecting. It becomes even more dangerous, however, when you put everything on credit and don’t actually see the funds withdrawn until later. Of course, there are circumstances when credit is necessary, but other times pull out your debit instead and track your money in real time.

Sit on it

Certain factors, such as a limited-time sale, can cause transactional pressure. Take a step back and do some research before making an impulsive purchase. Sit with your thoughts and assess the situation. You can ask yourself: “‘What will I gain if I go through with this? Is there a better option out there for me?’”

Don’t be fooled by digital marketing tactics

We have all experienced searching for an item on Google out of curiosity and then suddenly being bombarded with ads about that same product on every platform possible. Being attacked with imagery and persuasive ad messaging makes it that much more difficult to decipher a valuable purchase from an impulsive one. Always keep in mind that digital companies, particularly social media platforms, have thousands of pieces of your data that they are ready to use at a moment's notice to convince you to buy their product.

Avoid shopping when you’re vulnerable

We’ve all done it — open a browser when we’re feeling down only to be sucked into the stimulating world of online shopping. It’s as if, poof, all of a sudden your problems are going to be solved by getting yet another hoodie. In a state like this, it’s difficult to make an informed choice.

A bad purchase isn’t the end of the world, but once it happens it’s important to acknowledge where you went wrong and then look to how you can do better.