Most people think of impulse shopping as someone who can't stop themselves from buying something every time they go into a store. That is one type of impulse shopping. It is something that most people can recognize in their own behavior and if they get serious about saving money, they can do something about it.

I am talking about another form of impulse shopping. It falls under a more strict definition of impulse shopping. Technically speaking any purchase that is not a planned purchase is an impulse purchase. If you buy something you did not plan on, no matter what or where, then you are an impulse shopper.

If you can afford to live like that, that's fine. The problem is, most people really can't afford to live like that. The bigger problem is that most people don't realize how much this type of shopping behavior costs them. If they did, they would make some drastic changes.

Think about what you bought today that you did not plan to buy. Start with the drink you had at Starbucks this morning for almost 3 dollars. How about the two candy bars at 70 cents apiece you bought when you filled up at the gas station so you would have something to munch on while working. Don't forget the bottle of Diet Coke you stopped to get on the way home for $1.25.

Does this sound like your typical day? We aren't even talking about what most call impulse buying. We are not considering the sweater you had to have as you walked through the mall at lunch. All we are talking about are the tiny expenditures you make through the day that you think nothing of.

Well, think again about those little nothing expenditures. Do you realize how much you really just spent? Those little nothing expenditures of coffee, candy and pop added up to $5.65. Does not really sound like much does it? It wouldn't amount to much if you only did it once. More likely, though these expenditures are a daily occurrence.

If you spent $5.65 per day for one year you will have spent $2,065.25! That's right, over two thousand dollars for those small little nothing purchases. If you went to the counter with the coffee and candy and soft drink and the clerk asked you for $2,000 to pay for it, would you pay for it? Of course not.

That's how you need to approach this type of impulse spending. When you buy that candy bar don't look at it as a 70 cent purchase, look at it as a $255.00 purchase because that is what it costs you over a years time. Your $3.00 coffee is not a three dollar coffee it is an $1100 coffee.

If you can imagine your yearly cost for some of those non consequential purchases you make during the day, you might be able to make a better decision on whether to make those purchases or not.

The best thing is, when you look at the quality of your life, those little purchases have no impact whatsoever. Giving up any of those unplanned items will not lessen your quality of life at all. It will, in fact increase the quality of your life as you will have a few thousand dollars more in your pocket. You might even loose a few pounds when you give up your candy! One more example of how you can live cheap but live rich.

Living cheap expert Scott Siegel can show you how you can live cheap! Learn how you can master the art of cheap living. See how in the guide to living cheap.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Siegel

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