You know the feeling. You walk past a display on Orchard Road or see a flash sale notification, “Up to 70% Off!”, and before you realise it, you’ve made another unplanned purchase. The excitement is immediate, but so is the guilt that follows. It’s a common experience. With discount codes, vouchers, and TikTok trends like “girl math” justifying impulsive spending, it’s easy to normalise frequent, unplanned purchases. In Singapore, the constant stream of deals from events like the Great Singapore Sale, 11.11, and daily online flash deals makes it even harder to resist. Impulse spending is more than just a bad habit. Over time, it can affect your budget, mood, and financial goals. In today’s fast-paced and sale-driven culture, being aware of how and why you spend is important if you want to stay in control.

1. What is impulse spending?

Have you ever bought something “just because”? That’s impulse spending. It happens when you make a...