How to stop ADHD impulse purchases when shopping online this holiday season (+ FREE anti-impulse purchase checklist)

Tis’ the season for sales!

With the winter holiday season comes the winter big sale season, and it’s right around the corner!  Black Friday, Boxing Day, Cyber Monday, End of Year Sales and whatever else in between.  Brands will try to tempt you with bundles, flash sales, free gifts, and exclusive offers. 

Online shopping makes it easier than ever to act on impulse.  Clicking through a checkout doesn’t feel as “real” as shopping in person.  Also, you can shop literally 24/7. Typically you wouldn’t be at the mall at 2am on a Friday night after a couple glasses of wine (but I see you places those orders online).

What drives ADHD impulse spending?

We can’t talk about impulse buying without talking about impulsivity.  Being able to resist something in the moment and delaying gratification is hard for anyone but even harder with ADHD.  We see it, we want it, and we feel like we need to have it. On top of the marketing that makes us feel like we need it, and this is our best chance to get it. In the heat of the moment, you convince yourself this is actually a financially responsible decision, without giving yourself space and a pause to fully think it through. 

Then, there is the stimulation seeking.  Interest, novelty, and urgency are the three things that really light up ADHD brains.  That’s why the intense sales and marketing at this time of year can be so powerful.  We’re bombarded by all these interesting things, feeling the urge to get something new (even when you already have more than enough at home), and the urgency of limited-time deals to top it off. 

Beating clutter starts at the store

Believe me, I know how overwhelming and frustrating it is to go through clutter.  It’s time-consuming, emotionally taxing, and decision fatigue is real (I designed my ADHD decluttering decision support kit specifically to help take the load off this!)  But where we truly beat clutter is at the source.  If you’re decluttering at the same rate you’re acquiring, you’re just replacing your old clutter with new soon-to-be clutter.   Impulse purchases are much more likely to turn into regret once the excitement wears off. 

ADHD Decluttering Decision Support Kit

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Of course, it is much easier said than done, “just don’t impulse buy! Use your willpower!”.  I know that kind of advice makes your skin crawl (at least it does for me).  Let’s look at some ADHD informed ways you can curb your impulse purchasing tendencies!

Strategies to cut off online shopping impulsivity

Create a plan

Let’s be real, there are probably things that you do genuinely want to buy during these sales.  That’s not automatically a bad thing! It can be a great opportunity to stock up, splurge on a larger investment, or save some money on gifts. Now is the time to start thinking about and budgeting for what it is that you actually want to spend your money on.  And more importantly, write it down!  Planning and budgeting isn’t about restriction.  It’s about empowering yourself to be in control of your purchases and finances. 

Vision board

What are you wanting to spend your money on? Is there something you’ve been waiting all year to get on a good deal? A trip you’ve been saving up for? The stuff on your plan? Whatever it is, create a vision board of these things and have it visible.  You can set it as your phone or computer wallpaper.  Printed out and posted wherever you would do your shopping.  Having that visual reminder of what you actually want to spend your money on can help keep your choices aligned with what really matters. 

Buddy up! 

Body doubling and creating external accountability systems can be extremely impactful for ADHDers.  Who in your life may want to be shopping accountability buds?  Let them know your plan, and you can offer to swap plans if they’re up for it.  Connect when you’re feeling the urge to make an impulse purchase. You can also set up a scheduled body doubling session to make your planned purchases together. 

Carve out dedicated time

It’s easy to float in and out of browsing online.  Checking out a few sales between writing emails or attending zoom meetings.  Browsing because we’re bored is the precursor to making a regrettable impulse buy for the quick dopamine hit. Window shopping shouldn’t be another way you kill time online.  Make it into an intentional event, with your shopping plan, vision board and a cozy drink nearby.

Calculate money in terms of work

When it’s all numbers on a screen, money can start to feel detached and even more abstract than it already is. When we throw sales into the mix, we often get fixated on how much we’re “saving” without recognizing that our hard-earned money is ultimately getting spent.  Before you hit purchase, calculate how many hours, days, or weeks of work that item is costing you.  For entrepreneurs, how much would you need to sell to afford the item? Then reconsider if it’s still worth it to you.

Protect your digital space

Remove card autofill

That convenient feature that autofills all your credit card information at checkout, that makes it quick and breezy to complete a purchase?  DELETE! Before the sales really start hitting, make sure to remove your card information from wherever it may be stored.  Google, apple, Shop, Amazon, or any stores you frequent.  Typically when supporting our ADHD, we are looking to remove friction and reduce steps.  In this case, we can use friction and annoying steps to our advantage! If you have to get up, find your wallet, and type in all your card information every time you want to make a purchase, it creates a natural opportunity for you to pause and think “do I really want or need this?”  If needing to get off the couch and grab your credit card is enough to make you rethink the purchase entirely, I think it’s safe to say you should give it a skip. 

Unsubscribe from brand emails

Your email is probably already getting blown up with all the tempting sales of the season.  Relying on willpower when it comes to ADHD is not a strategy that sets us up for success.  In the digital era it’s nearly impossible to dodge 100% of ads, but having them show up in our email inbox is one place we have some control. Getting rid of those deals sliding into your inbox can help reduce the temptation.  Once again it’s adding friction – you’ll have to go and seek out what there is, it isn’t just going to come to you.

If you have Gmail, mass unsubscribing is actually super easy (and a good thing to do for a cleaner inbox in general!) using the manage subscriptions tool. Here is a short tutorial on how you can do it.

Unfollow or mute brands on social media

Similarily, brands are going to be using social media to promote their “best and biggest deals” of the season.  Do a quick scroll through your following list on your most used platforms and say goodbye, just for now. 

Your FREE anti-impulse purchase checklist!

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