5 Shopping Habits To Break If You’re Trying To Save More
Written by
Emily Fowler
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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Saving more money doesn’t always require big sacrifices or drastic changes. Often, the culprit lies in small, everyday spending habits that add up over time. From subscriptions you forgot you signed up for to impulsive purchases driven by emotion, these behaviors can quietly chip away at your bank account without you even noticing.
The good news? Breaking these habits isn’t about cutting out all your comforts. It’s about making smarter choices that align with your financial goals.
Here’s how experts recommend rethinking these common shopping money traps to keep more cash in your pocket.
Also see eight frugal habits that every expert shopper swears by.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions, from streaming platforms to app memberships, are a common regular hit on finances. Often forgotten until the next charge hits, they can quickly add up.
Doug Carey, CFA, founder of WealthTrace, pointed out the subtle danger: “Subscriptions can quietly drain your finances over time, especially if you’re subscribed to multiple services that you rarely use.”
The fix? A regular audit. Go through bank statements to identify services that aren’t delivering value. For extra help, apps like Rocket Money can track and manage recurring charges. Once identified, cancel or pause what’s unnecessary.
Impulse Buys
Impulse purchases thrive on emotion and can blow a budget. According to Heather Allen, budgeting coach and owner of Reality Saving LLC, the best defense is a pause.
“Impulse purchases are budget killers. They’re often based on emotions, not needs,” she said. She suggested the 24-hour rule — waiting a full day before making any unplanned purchase. “Often, the urge will pass,” she said.
Building this habit takes intention but can lead to more mindful spending and better savings outcomes.
Brand Loyalty
Paying extra for brand-name goods doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. Allen advised trialing generic or store brands when shopping for groceries and household items.
“Brand-name items aren’t always better,” she said. “Test one or two products at a time — you might be surprised at how much you can save without sacrificing quality.”
Finding items from a cheaper brand that are just as good as brand-name items can significantly lower grocery bills without feeling like a compromise.
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services like Klarna and Affirm can make overspending dangerously easy. “BNPL schemes are so effective because they capitalize on humans’ tendency to overvalue present happiness and undervalue future pain,” according to Monica Eaton, an accredited financial counselor and founder of Money with Moni. While these plans do offer convenience, the financial sting comes later.
“Ask, ‘Is this something I would buy if I had to pay the entire purchase price upfront?'” she said. “Your answer will help you determine if the purchase is a true want or just an impulse buy.”
If the answer is yes, Eaton suggested a “buy it twice” approach: Match each installment payment with an equal amount transferred to savings.
To avoid using BNPL altogether, aim to save the money for those purchases. “By putting aside money each month,” Carey said, “you can avoid the temptation of debt.”
Overlooking Spending Patterns
Tanya Peterson, vice president of brand at digital personal finance company Achieve, encouraged taking a personal approach to breaking habits.
“Figure out what your particular shopping habits are,” she said. “Too many streaming subscriptions, daily lattes and impulse buying online are all common culprits, but it is different for each person.”
Keeping a spending log for a month — tracking online orders, in-person purchases and recurring charges — can reveal patterns unique to the individual.
Once those habits are identified, she suggested focusing on just one habit at a time. “You may have several worthy ones, and you may be motivated, but it’s hard — if not impossible — to make it all happen at one time,” Peterson said.
Building Smarter Habits Takes Time
Goals are key to saving more, but they need to be realistic. If slashing grocery spending is the target, try reducing brand-name purchases by half. For streaming services, scale back to just the essentials.
“Some people try going ‘cold turkey’ only to find they can’t sustain it,” Peterson said. “Set realistic goals you can achieve.”
Changing financial habits isn’t easy, but the payoff can be life-changing. Peterson emphasized the power of setting goals and crafting a realistic budget: “A budget doesn’t need to be scary. It’s just a spending plan to help you do what you’d like to do in your life. Maybe it’s taking a trip, retiring, sending a child to college and/or having time to pursue a favorite hobby. Those goals will make following your plan much, much more doable.”
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