Give yourself time to think about every purchase. That’s what Carl Richards, for the New York Times suggests in his article, New Rule: All Purchases Subject to a 7-Day Mental Quarantine. We have a similar process in our house for purchases made at Goodwill. If you bring it home, you must clean it and incorporate it into your life within seven days or it goes back to Goodwill. In many ways, this compares to the seven-day item quarantine Carl’s family is currently using.
During the quarantine, the person desiring the object must answer the following questions: How much did it cost? Are you replacing something you already own? Why do you think it’s amazing? And if it’s food, are you sure you’ll eat it? Once the time limit has passed, it is much easier to make an ‘informed’ decision and not end up with something you’ll never wear, use or eat. Give it a try and let us know if it works for you in the comments.