How to control your online shopping
Three tactics to ensure your online purchases aren't regrettable impulse buys
A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in Golden, Colorado in this file photograph. Hamm suggests telling sites like Amazon not to automatically store your passwords and credit card info, because retrieving it will grant you extra time to consider purchases.
Rick Wikling/Reuters/File
I find it very easy to buy stuff online without adequate thought. I鈥檒l click a few times and suddenly the item I want is on the way.
I particularly struggle with three sites directly connected to three of my biggest hobbies: Amazon (for books), Cool Stuff Inc. (for board games), and Steam (for computer games 鈥� and, yes, Steam sales are particularly my weak spot).
Over the years, I鈥檝e had to build up some defenses against these temptations. I鈥檝e tried lots of different things, but I鈥檝e found that only three of them really work and make a difference in my buying habits.
Delete Passwords and Credit Card Info
聽Whenever I place an order at one of these sites, one of the first things I do is make sure that my credit card information is not stored at that site. When my browser prompts me to save the password for the site, I always say 鈥渘o.鈥�
For some people, this might seem like an annoyance. It鈥檚 supposed to be. The reason for doing this is to force me to slow down when I鈥檓 tempted to make an unnecessary purchase.
Let鈥檚 say, for example, that I鈥檝e been reading reviews of some board game and I鈥檝e talked myself into spending some of my extra money on a copy of that game. If I left my password saved and my billing information stored in the online retailer鈥檚 site, then I can have that game shipped to my house after a simple search and about six clicks.
On the other hand, if I鈥檝e deleted my password and my billing and shipping information, I have to spend the time to type in my username and password, type in my card number and other information, and type in my billing address and shipping address. This adds up to several minutes of additional typing.
During that time, my mind on some level is rethinking the purchase. 鈥淚s it really worth it?鈥� I鈥檒l ask myself. Quite often, I鈥檒l wind up never placing the order at all. This keeps money in my pocket instead of watching it leave for something frivolous.
Keep a 鈥淎lready Have This鈥� List Nearby
聽On my computer screen, I have three Post-It notes.
One says 鈥淏ooks to Read:鈥� and lists about five books that I already have on my shelves.
Another says 鈥淕ames to Play:鈥� and lists about five board games that I already have on my shelves.
The third says 鈥淐omputer Games to Play:鈥� and lists about five computer games that I鈥檇 love to dig into more.
Whenever I鈥檓 tempted to buy another one of these items, I just glance at these notes and I realize that I already have more than enough.
Use the Computer Less
聽My final tactic is to simply use the computer 鈥� particularly the internet 鈥� less and interact with the real world more. Instead of surfing the web during my idle time, why not read one of those books on my 鈥淏ooks to Read鈥� list or play a board game with my wife? Instead of playing a computer game, why not just go for a nice walk?
The computer is a wonderful source for entertainment, information, and contact, but in the end, those things are just a stepping stone for interacting with the world around you.
Keep these tactics in mind if you find yourself regularly tempted by online shopping. They guide me to better results; hopefully, you鈥檒l find the same.