   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   We all buy things from time to time that we don't really need. It's okay
   to appeal to your wants every once in a while, as long as you're in
   control. If you struggle with clutter, impulse buys, and buyer's remorse,
   here's how to put your mind in the right place before you even set foot in
   a store.

  Understand How Your Own Brain Works Against You

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   It may come as no surprise to learn that stores employ all kinds of tricks
   to get you to part ways with your cash, and your brain plays right along.
   Through psychological tricks, product placement, and even color, stores
   are designed from the ground up to increase spending. We've talked about
   the biggest things stores do to manipulate your senses, but here are some
   of the biggest things to look out for:

     * Color: Stores use color to make products attractive and eye-catching,
       but they also use color on price labels. Red stands out and can
       encourage taking action, that's why it's commonly associated with sale
       signage and advertising. When you see red, remember what they're
       trying to do to your brain with that color. You don't to buy something
       just because it's on sale.
     * Navigation Roadblocks: Stores force you to walk around stuff you don't
       need to find the stuff you are really after. Have a list of what you
       need before you go in, go straight to it, and imagine it's the only
       item in the store.
     * The Touch Factor: Stores place items they want to sell in easy to
       reach locations and encourage you to touch them. Don't do it! As soon
       as you pick something up, you're more likely to buy it because your
       mind suddenly takes ownership of the object. Don't pick anything up
       and don't play with display items.
     * Scents and Sounds: You'll probably hear classic, upbeat tunes when you
       walk into a store. The upbeat music makes you happy and excited, while
       playing familiar songs makes you feel comfortable. They also use
       pleasant smells to put your mind at ease. A happy, comfortable mind at
       ease is a dangerous combination for your brain when shopping. There's
       not much you can do to avoid this unless you shop online, but it's
       good to be aware of it.

   And sure, we can blame the stores all we want, but you won't change how
   they operate—you can only be aware of how your brain is falling for their
   tricks. Even without the stores, your brain is working against you on its
   own, thanks to some simple cognitive biases.

   For example, confirmation bias makes you only believe the information that
   conforms to your prior beliefs, while you discount everything else.
   Advertisers appeal to this bias directly by convincing you one item is
   better than another with imagery and other tricks, regardless of what hard
   facts might say. Keep your mind open, do your own research, and accept
   when you're wrong about a product. The Decoy effect is also a commonly
   used tactic. You think one product is a deal because it's next to a
   similar product that's priced way higher. Even if it's a product you need,
   it's probably not as good of a deal as it looks right then and there.
   Again, always research beforehand and be on the lookout for this common
   trick to avoid impulse buys.

  Make a List of Everything You Own and Do Some Decluttering

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   Now that you know what you're up against, it's time to start changing the
   way you think. Before you can stop buying crap you don't need, you need to
   identify what that crap is. The first step is to make a list of every
   single thing you own. Every. Single. Thing. This might sound extreme, but
   you need to gather your data so you can start reprogramming your mind.

   The purpose of this exercise is twofold: you see what you already have and
   don't need to ever buy again, and you get to see what you shouldn't have
   bought in the first place. As you list everything out, separate items into
   categories. It's extremely important that you are as honest with yourself
   as possible while you do this. It's also important you actually write this
   all down or type it all out. Here is the first set of categories to
   separate everything into:

     * Need: You absolutely need this item to get by on a day to day basis.
     * Sometimes Need: You don't need this item every day, but you use it on
       a somewhat regular basis.
     * Want: You bought this item because you wanted it, not because you
       needed it.
     * Crap: You don't have a good reason why you have it and you already
       know it needs to go (there's probably a few of these items, at least).

   Leave the things you listed as "needs" alone, put your stuff listed as
   "crap" in a pile or box to go bye-bye, and move your attention back to
   your "sometimes need" and "want" lists. You need to go back over both of
   those lists because you probably fudged some of the listings, either
   subconsciously or intentionally. Now ask yourself these three questions as
   you go through both the "sometimes need" and "want" lists:

     * When was the last time I used this?
     * When will I use this again?
     * Does this item bring you joy?

   Remember to be honest and adjust your lists accordingly. There's nothing
   wrong with keeping things you wanted. Material items can bring happiness
   to many people, but make sure the items on your "want" list actively
   provide you joy and are being used. If an item doesn't get much use or
   doesn't make you happy, add it to the "crap" list.

   Once you have everything organized, it's time to do some serious
   decluttering. This listing exercise should get you started, but there are
   a lot of other great ideas when it comes to ditching the junk you don't
   need. Regardless, everything on your "crap" list needs to go. You can
   donate it, sell it at a yard sale, give it away to people know, whatever
   you like. Before you get rid of everything, though, take a picture of all
   your stuff together. Print out or save the picture somewhere. Some of it
   was probably gifts, but in general, this is all the crap you bought that
   you don't need. Take a good look and remember it.

  See How Much Money and Time You Spent on the Stuff You Threw Out

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   Now take a look at your "crap" list again and start calculating how much
   you spent on all of it. If it was a gift, mark it as $0. Otherwise, figure
   out the price of the item at the time you bought it. If you got a deal or
   bought it on sale it's okay to factor that in, but try to be as accurate
   as possible. Once you have the price for each item, add it all together.
   Depending on your spending habits this could possibly be in the hundreds
   to thousands of dollars. Remember the picture you took of all this stuff?
   Attach the total cost to the picture so you can see both at the same time.

   With the money cost figured out, you should take a look at the other costs
   too. Time is a resource just like any other, and it's a finite one. What
   kind of time did you pour into these things? Consider the time you spent
   acquiring and using these items, then write it all down. These can be
   rough estimations, but go ahead and add it all up when you think you've
   got it. Now attach the total time to same picture as before and think of
   the other ways you could have spent all that time. This isn't to make you
   feel bad about yourself, just to deliver information to your brain in an
   easy-to-understand form. When you look at it all like this, it can open
   your eyes a little more, and help you think about purchases in the future.
   You'll look at an item and ask yourself, "Will this just end up in the
   picture?"

  List Every Non-Material Thing In Your Life that Makes You Happy

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   Now it's time to make a different list. While material items may bring
   plenty of joy, the things in your life that make you happiest probably
   can't be bought. Get a separate piece of paper or create a new document
   and list out everything in your life that makes you happy. If you can't
   buy it, it's eligible for the list. It doesn't matter if it only makes you
   crack a smile or makes you jump for joy, list it out.

   These are probably the things that actually make you want to get out of
   bed in the morning and keep on keepin' on. Once you have it all down, put
   it in your purse or wallet. The next time you feel the urge to buy
   something, whip this list out first and remind yourself why you probably
   don't need it.

  Spend Some Time Away from Material Things to Gain Perspective

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   If you're having a really hard time with your spending, it can help to get
   away from material objects completely. When you're constantly surrounded
   by stuff and have access to buying things at all times, it can be really
   tough to break the habit. Spend a day in the park enjoying the sights and
   sounds of the outdoors, go camping with some friends, or hike a trail you
   haven't been on before.

   Essentially, you want to show yourself that you don't need your "things"
   to have a good time. When you realize how much fun you can have without
   all the trinkets and trivets, you'll start to shut down your desire to buy
   them. If you can't get really get away right now, just go for a walk
   without your purse or wallet (but carry your ID). If you can't buy
   anything, you'll be forced to experience things a different way.

  Develop a Personal "Should I Buy This?" Test

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   If you don't have a personal "should I buy this?" test, now's the perfect
   time to make one. When you find an item you think you need or want, it has
   to pass all of the questions you have on your test before you can buy it.
   Here's where you can use all of the data you've gathered so far and put it
   to really good use. The test should be personalized to your own buying
   habits, but here are some example questions:

     * Is this a planned purchase?
     * Will it end up in the "crap" list picture one day?
     * Where am I going to put it?
     * Have I included this in my budget?
     * Why do I want/need it?

   Custom build your test to hit all of your weaknesses. If you make a lot of
   impulse buys, include questions that address that. If you experience a lot
   of buyer's remorse, include a lot of questions that make you think about
   the use of item after you buy it. If buying the latest and greatest
   technology is your weakness, Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist suggests
   you ask yourself what problem the piece of tech solves. If you can't think
   of anything it solves or if you already have something that solves it, you
   don't need it. Be thorough and build a test that you can run through your
   mind every time you consider buying something.

  Learn to Delay Gratification and Destroy the Urge to Impulse Buy

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   When it comes to the unnecessary crap we buy, impulse purchases probably
   make up a good deal of them. We love to feel gratification instantly and
   impulse buys appeal to that with a rush of excitement with each new
   purchase. We like to believe that we have control over our impulses all
   the time, but we really don't, and that's a major problem for the ol'
   wallet.

   The key is teaching your brain that it's okay to wait for gratification.
   You can do this with a simple time out every time you want something. Look
   at whatever you're thinking of buying, go through your personal "should I
   buy this?" test, and then walk away for a little while. Planning your
   purchases ahead is ideal, so the longer you can hold off, the better. Set
   yourself a reminder to check on the item a week or month down the line.
   When you come back to it, you may find that you don't even want it, just
   the gratification that would come with it. If you're shopping online, you
   can do the same thing. Walk away from your desk or put your phone in your
   pocket and do something else for a little while.

   You can also avoid online impulse purchases by making it harder to do.
   Block shopping web sites during time periods you know you're at your
   weakest, or remove all of your saved credit card or Paypal information.
   You can also practice the "HALT" method when you're shopping online or in
   a store. Try not to buy things when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired
   because you're at your weakest state mentally. Last, but not least, the
   "stranger test" can help you weed out bad purchases too.

   The last thing you should consider when it comes to impulse buys is
   "artificial replacement." As Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar explains,
   artificial replacement can happen when you start to reduce the time you
   get with your main interests:

     Whenever I consistently cut quality time for my main interests out of my
     life, I start to long for them. As you saw in that "typical" day, I do
     make room for spending time with my family, but my other two main
     interests are absent. If that happens too many days in a row, I start to
     really miss reading. I start to really miss playing thoughtful board
     games with friends. What happens after that? I start to substitute. When
     I don't have the opportunity to sit down for an hour or even for half an
     hour and really get lost in a book, I start looking for an alternative
     way to fill in the tiny slices of time that I do have. I'll spend money.

   You probably have things in your life that provide plenty of
   gratification, so don't get caught substituting it with impulse buys.
   Always make sure you keep yourself happy with plenty of time doing the
   things you like to do and you won't be subconsciously trying to fill that
   void with useless crap.

  Turn the Money You Save Into More Money

   How to Program Your Mind to Stop Buying Crap You Don’t Need

   Once you've programmed your mind to stop buying crap you don't need,
   you'll have some extra cash to play with. Take all that money and start
   putting it toward your future and things you will need further down the
   road. You might need a home, a vehicle, or a way to retire, but none of
   that can happen until you start planning for it.

   Start by paying off any debts you already have. Credit cards, student
   loans, and even car payments can force you to live paycheck to paycheck.
   Use the snowball method and pay off some small balances to make you feel
   motivated, then start taking out your debt in full force with the stacking
   method: stop creating new debt, determine which balances have the highest
   interest rates, and create a payment schedule to pay them off efficiently.

   With your debts whittled down, you should start an emergency fund. No
   matter how well you plan things, accidents and health emergencies can
   still happen. An emergency fund is designed to make those kinds of events
   more manageable. This type of savings account is strictly for when life
   throws you a curveball, but you can grow one pretty easily with only
   modest savings.

   When you've paid off your debt and prepared yourself for troubled times,
   you can start saving for the big stuff. All that money you're not spending
   on crap anymore can be saved, invested, and compounded to let you buy
   comfort and security. If you don't know where to start, talk to a
   financial planner. Or create a simple, yet effective "set and forget"
   investment portfolio. You've worked hard to reprogram your mind, so make
   sure you reap the benefits for many years to come.

   Photos by cmgirl (Shutterstock), Macrovector (Shutterstock), J E Theriot,
   davidd, George Redgrave, David Amsler, Arup Malakar, J B, jakerome, 401(K)
   2012.
