1) Next Tuesday: Before a purchase, take the time to consider what you’ll be doing, from morning to night, this coming Tuesday.  How will this purchase affect you on Tuesday? This simple exercise—thinking about time used on a specific day (you can choose your favourite weekday)—helps us make less biased predictions about how much any one thing will influence our happiness. If those thoughts about next Tuesday don’t make you happy, don’t buy what you impulsively so much desired. 2) The Spillover Effect: Avoid special offers.  Chain stores love to make you feel like you are getting a great deal as this makes you buy more than you need. When you see low priced special offered goods, your rational brain tends to go soft with gratitude at the shop’s generosity.  And this surge of positive emotion makes you want to return the favour, by splashing out on unnecessary items. Try ......