Maybe it is innate that many shopaholics cannot resist anything that looks pretty on the shelves or has a discount tag on it. Besides earning money and making money work hard for us (our income stream), controlling our expenses and saving up are just as important (limit cash outflow).

Here are eight quick tips on how to overcome your impulse purchases -

Need vs Want
Ask yourself if you really need that item before you buy - 3x. Think about what you already owned and if those items are functioning the same as the one you are about to buy or just as good. Usage
Can you foresee yourself using this item that you intend to buy frequently? If it is just another collection to your wardrobe of white elephants, then forget it. For items that you are intending to use only once or twice, perhaps borrowing from a friend or neighbour would be...