5 Amazon Impulse Buys That Can Quietly Blow Up Your Budget
Written by
Tiffany Lew
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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The dopamine rush from an impulse Amazon purchase might feel good in the moment, but less so when your credit card bill drops. Whether you realize it or not, occasionally, “treating yourself” can have an inverse effect on your finances in the long run, making certain buys particularly dangerous when made spontaneously.
Here are five Amazon impulse buys to avoid if a shopping habit has an insidious way of getting into your wallet.
Subscription Traps
First order of business, ask yourself if you really, right now, need another paid subscription like Amazon Prime. Afterall, the monthly recurring fees quickly add up. Furthermore, paying for the subscription entices you to spend more time browsing on the shopping platform, and too easily adding items into your cart that you otherwise wouldn’t come across. Conversely, your account can fall to the wayside and be forgotten after the initial excitement of the deal that pulled you in. So pause, step back, and think twice.
Kitchen Gadgets You’ll Use Once
Shiny, flashy kitchen tools that serve one purpose seem fun and alluring, only to be left in the back of the drawer and spotted again when you’re moving or trying to find the thing you do use. A little can go a long way in the kitchen space. You can use a rolling pin as a mallet, but you can’t use a mallet as a rolling pin. You can use a Dutch oven on the stove top and inside an oven. Invest in items that are versatile, long-lasting and have lower cost per use.
Bulk Buys That Go to Waste
You may see the bottled sauce you’re looking for on Amazon, only to come across it in bulk. There and at big box stores, you easily encounter seemingly great bulk deals on your favorite snack (or maybe even one you’ve been meaning to try). However, if you live in a small household or even alone, items expire, you’ll likely overeat, or it may turn out that snack you were curious about isn’t so good after all.
Also, consider this: Cost per square unit. How much space are you willing to allocate or compromise in your home for a bulky item? Is it worth a high cost?
Clothes and Shoes That Don’t Fit
Amazon can mislead shoppers about how wearable items like clothes and shoes will fit. Returns can be tedious, as well, so you may rationalize keeping an item that is almost up to par, but not quite.
When it comes to following a budget, clothes and shoes are items better off used, not just acquired and admired. So focus on items that you know will make you feel good and fit you. Avoid closet clutter and the sunk cost fallacy by returning items that don’t fit — or better yet, never purchasing them to begin with.
Unnecessary Home Decor
Home decoration can too easily unravel into clutter. A “Live Laugh Love” poster in every corner of every room might be a few too many. Here’s where overspending on items that are meant to bring out personality and joy can backfire. Their value diminishes.
Decor should make your home feel inviting — not claustrophobic. When you make the decision to impulse buy on Amazon, that can compound into bringing more stress into your life, and there’s simply little room for that in any budget.
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