In my day-to-day life, I wouldn’t consider myself to be very spontaneous. I appreciate a good routine, and I don’t often do anything without, at the very least, Googling it first. I’m one of the most careful people I know, to a fault. However, there is one teeny tiny area of my life that I enjoy a thrill in, and that is online shopping. Hitting “checkout” comes with a type of rush that just can’t be replicated. Truthfully, I love everything about it—except what it does to my bank account.
Over the past year, I’ve reluctantly tried to reel in my spending, but every money-saving method has done nothing but bore me. My attempts at no-spend weekends kept leading to midweek shopping sprees just to feel something. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon a TikTok from Sierra Boudreaux, where she shares her “impulse avoidance” notes app hack, that I finally had some hope.
Promising to save you money and reward you along the way, I decided to try it out. After just one month, I stopped myself from impulse spending $432.75 (!!!), and instead of feeling restricted, I felt excited. Ahead, I’m breaking down Boudreaux’s “impulse avoidance” notes app hack, how to implement it, and why it works.
What is the “impulse avoidance” notes app hack?
As explained by Boudreaux, an “Impulse Avoidance” list is a list that lives in your Notes app, and it details all the things you were close to impulse buying over the course of one month. Throughout the month, instead of hitting “purchase,” you add the name of the item, the date that you found it, and how much it costs to your list. Boudreaux’s list included everything from extra Ninja Creami containers to reusable paper towels and totaled up to $750+ in July alone.
At the end of the month, you total up everything you almost bought, and from there, put half of the total amount in your savings and use the other half for whatever you want. Boudreaux says that by doing this, ”you’re honoring your commitment to save and then also rewarding yourself for that.” So, not only does this trick stop you from impulse buying, but it also helps you reallocate the money more effectively while earning you a little treat. With the other half of the money, you can purchase something off your list you actually need or haven’t stopped thinking about, save for an upcoming trip, or something else altogether. It’s totally up to you.
What happened when I tried the “impulse avoidance” notes app hack
At first, I doubted something as simple as making a list in my notes app would help me. I mean, there are hundreds of paid apps that claim to fix your budgeting woes, so this free and easy trick seemed a little too good to be true. But once I started, there was something about the act of writing down each almost-purchase that was so satisfying—like each time I avoided something was its own win.
Considering my most-used apps are Instagram and LTK, and I love a good, targeted ad, my list added up fast, especially in the first week. I knew that a few days of impulse purchases could quickly set me over the edge in theory, but seeing the totals before my eyes was sobering. After that, I found myself clicking on items less and less, knowing the effects of my habits. Still, I had a total of $432.75 worth of stuff on my list at the end of the month. To put that in perspective, that’s only a few dollars more than my monthly car payment.
Following Boudreaux’s advice (but rounding down for the sake of ease), I sent $200 directly to my savings account, leaving me $200 to do whatever I wanted with. After taking a step back, I realized that my entire list was made up of wants; I couldn’t justify spending $200+ on things I really didn’t need. So instead, I allowed myself to finally purchase the sunglasses I’ve had my eyes on since the holidays for $65, figuring I’ll save the other $135 for when I don’t have as much self-control.
I did this trick for two more months, and each time, my total got a little lower. This hack forced me to take a step back and really think about how much I was spending and why. Most of the time, I was attracted to an item because it looked good on someone else, not because it actually had a place in my home or wardrobe. Plus, it allowed me the time to consider what I really did want, and once I let myself buy it, I was even more excited about the purchase.
Why the “impulse avoidance” notes app hack works
Boudreaux points out that we live in an age where we’re constantly being sold to. Everything is marketed at us as the “next best thing,” promising to add youth to our skin, versatility to our wardrobe, comfort to our home, and more. It can be tempting to give in. But most of the time, “we don’t actually want the thing; we want the dopamine we’ve attached to it,” says Boudreaux. This list creates friction in our purchases, since it prompts us to stop, write it down, and wait. By doing this, we are better able to separate the things we think we need from the ones we truly want and have more awareness around our purchases.
If you have impulse buying tendencies and are in need of a little intervention, this will be the perfect challenge for you. But just like anything, it won’t work unless you make it work for you. Since I use my Notes app religiously, this was an easy method for me, but you can also send yourself a text or email to easily file away each item throughout the month. Just remember: It’s not realistic to go from impulse buying to saving every penny, but the more you practice this, the more aware you’ll be of your habits—and the less you’ll give in to the things you think you want in the moment.
Hailey Tagliarino, Assistant Managing Editor
As Assistant Managing Editor for The Everygirl, Hailey Tagliarino oversees, writes, and edits content across various categories on the site. From the pitching stage through publishing, she works alongside the team to ensure that the content that our readers see every day is inspiring, relatable, and timely.
