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WalletPrep worksheet · Money basics

How to stop impulse spending

Name ____________________ Date __________

Key ideas

  1. Wait 48 hours before any unplanned buy. List the item with the date. If you still want it in two days and it fits, buy it.
  2. Friction beats willpower. Delete saved cards, log out of shopping apps and unsubscribe from sale emails. Each extra step gives the urge time to fade.
  3. Fun money makes the rest stick. Set a monthly amount you can spend on anything with zero guilt. When it's gone, the 48-hour list waits for next month.

Work it out

Kai, 26, takes home $18 an hour and keeps coming up short before payday. He marks every unplanned purchase on last month's statements and totals them.

  1. Online orders
  2. Takeout and delivery
  3. Store extras
  4. Impulse spending last month
  5. Skipped after 48-hour list
  6. Impulse spending this month
  7. Kept per month
  8. Months in a year
  9. Kept in a year ($140 × 12)

Check yourself

  1. You take home $20 an hour. How many hours of work is a $150 pair of shoes?

    • A. 5 hours
    • B. 6.5 hours
    • C. 10 hours
    • D. 7.5 hours

  2. What is the main idea of a 48-hour rule?

    • A. Never buy anything you want
    • B. Wait two days so the urge can fade before you decide
    • C. Only shop on weekends
    • D. Buy within 48 hours before the sale ends

  3. Which change adds the most friction to online impulse buys?

    • A. Turning on sale notifications
    • B. Using buy now, pay later
    • C. Deleting saved cards from shopping sites
    • D. Saving your address for faster checkout

Your turn

Delete your saved card from the one shopping site or app you use most, and unsubscribe from three store emails. Then start a 48-hour list in your phone's notes and add the next thing you want but didn't plan to buy.

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Answer key

How to stop impulse spending

Work it out

  1. Online orders$145
  2. Takeout and delivery$110
  3. Store extras$65
  4. Impulse spending last month= $320
  5. Skipped after 48-hour list− $140
  6. Impulse spending this month= $180
  7. Kept per month$140
  8. Months in a year12
  9. Kept in a year ($140 × 12)$1,680
  1. Kai's unplanned buys total $145 + $110 + $65 = $320. At $18 an hour, that is about 18 hours of work.
  2. He deletes saved cards and uses a 48-hour list. He skips $140 of items, so impulse spending drops to $320 − $140 = $180.
  3. Keeping $140 a month adds up to $140 × 12 = $1,680 a year, which he sets to move to savings each payday.

Check yourself

  1. D. 7.5 hours $150 ÷ $20 = 7.5 hours. Pricing a purchase in hours worked makes the trade easier to see.
  2. B. Wait two days so the urge can fade before you decide Waiting gives you time to decide with a clear head. If you still want it and it fits the budget, buy it.
  3. C. Deleting saved cards from shopping sites Without a saved card you have to type it in by hand, which gives you a moment to change your mind.