Impulse - slowing the "pulse" down

Think for a minute about your pulse: the more mature and healthier you are, the slower it needs to beat to keep you alive, well, and happy.

Infants are at 70-190 vs. Adults at 60-100. Athletes are between 40-60. (source)

Think about your pulse this way:

Infants: young, excitable, immature, developing bodies.

Adults: mature, fully developed (some healthier than others)

Athletes: mature, very well developed, healthiest of all.

Impulse implies that you are in that Infant: 70-190 range, rather than the Athlete:40-60 range.

Think about you impulse buys: you see something pretty, you get excited, you want it and you want it now, and your "pulse" elevates. Seems the only way to slow it down is to buy, buy, buy!

Much like a baby crying until it gets candy.

Here are some quick tips to avoid the trap of impulse:

1.       Make a budget: know what you can afford to blow before you dare step foot into that store.

2.      Back to front: shop the store back-to-front; those $200 heels that just made it to the floor will not look so good after you see the $70 heels waiting for you in the back

3.      Look for red: online or in the store, look (and wait) for the sales.

My top 3 favorite stores tend to sell my top 3 favorite new items at 40% off, just weeks after they are introduced. If I wait a few weeks, I can get 40% more clothing for my money.

                                Waiting isn't always such a bad thing, huh?

4.      Hurry up and Wait! try on what you like, pick your top 3, pick the 1-2 that fit into your budget. Now, I want you to walk to the counter, smile at the sales person, set the clothes down, and ask "Can you put these on hold please?"

5.       Exit the store, carry on the rest of your day, and get a good night's sleep.

If those on hold items haunt your dreams, go back and go ahead and buy them.

Putting clothes on hold accomplishes the following: a) you get the fun of shopping b) you find something you like c) you slow down your pulse long enough to make a good decision

Note: this technique can be applied to all shopping and should especially be applied to bigger purchases.

The more you practice these techniques, the slower your pulse will get, and the more fit and mature your spending habits will be.