Before you add those new shoes to your cart, stop yourself: you’re impulse buying. Here’s how tobreak the cycle

There’s a reason impulse spenders can’t stop spending and savers can’t stop saving — it’s rewarding.

Think about impulse buying — and we’ve all been there: What happens to your body and mind when you fill your cart with something fun and unexpected — another pair of shoes, some nice chocolate, new headphones — whatever your vice?

Physically, you might feel a surge of excitement, an elevated pulse, faster breathing — you might even let out a yelp of joy when you leave the physical store or digital checkout — especially if you got the item at a discount.

This is the effect of a naturally produced chemical in your body called dopamine. For a while, your mind feels satisfied.

And then that happiness wears off, sometimes as little as 30 minutes later.

You might feel low, lonely, or bored out of your mind. So, you buy again. It feels temporarily great again.

Then, you sink again, especially when your credit card bill arrives. You buy again.

On it goes (deeper in debt you become). Until you read this article and know what’s driving your behaviour.

Body truth

Surges of dopamine can begin when you start thinking about shopping (the thrill of the hunt); hours, days or weeks before. Just knowing about this body reaction might help you resist the temptation to buy on impulse.

When you can identify the physical effects as they begin, you’re armed to make a conscious decision to acknowledge what’s happening — then choose not to buy.

It will take some practice to learn what your body’s unique reactions are around impulse spending, but once you know, you can pinpoint it within minutes.

For me, when I get excited at the thought of an unplanned purchase, I start talking really fast and fidget my feet. Think about it: What’s your body’s reaction when shopping on impulse? Jot it down on a sticky note and place that note on the screen of your computer or phone today.

Replace your rewards

In my experience as a financial educator (and having spent nearly 16 years researching positive money psychology) it can be extremely helpful when trying to break a bad habit like impulse buying to replace it with a healthy one; at least for a little while. And, try to make it somewhat related.

For example, when you get the urge to impulse spend, hop into your online banking and immediately transfer $5 into your savings account. Repeat that savings transfer of a few dollars every day for the next few weeks. Now, look at your balance — doesn’t that feel great?

Or, if you were thinking of going out to buy your lunch or a breakfast smoothie, pause. Take an extra 10 to 15 minutes and make yourself an epic breakfast sandwich or peanut butter banana protein shake with the groceries you have on hand — how healthy do you feel? How nice is it to know you just pocketed $10 in savings?

Let’s keep going. You resisted the urge to buy a new pair of running shoes online. Now, head outside for a quick run in your current running shoes — physically and financially refreshing, isn’t it? Doesn’t it feel great?

Rather than spending 30 minutes browsing your favourite retailer’s website, you spent 30 minutes updating your net worth tracker — wow, you’re net worth tracker says you’re making financial progress, whoop! Doesn’t that feel great again?

The reason you feel great when you start replacing unhealthy financial habits with healthy ones is you get a sustained release of dopamine in your body when the new habit you’re forming is a healthy one.

Yup, over time with commitment to the new healthy habit, the happiness you feel physically and emotionally actually lasts longer in your body.

This is precisely why those who resist the urge to spend are generally pretty happy people — they feel great about themselves and their financial progress.

Change your environment

Scraping an impulse-buying habit can be aided by unsubscribing from shopping emails, not going to the mall, steering clear of too much online browsing and limiting time on social media.

Pay attention to some of the environmental triggers that make you want to shop, and replace them with something healthy.

Wanting to change impulse-buying habits is half the battle … the other half is work.

But, once you commit, you’ll be happier and have more money.

This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.