What does money mean to you?
Is it something to buy happiness? Some people use money to buy stuff to make them happy. Unfortunately that happiness will never last because once we buy the stuff, we tend to lose interest in it over time. When new things come out, we want the next thing, thinking that it will give us happiness again. It goes on and on.
We cannot be happy just by buying happy meals 
Curbing impulse buying is not easy because our senses are flooded with so many stimulations when we go shopping. We buy something not just from what we see or hear, but also because of what we smell.
I remember when I studied in Perth years ago. Every time I went home, when I got off the bus, I could smell KFC fried chicken and it was pulling me in. I don’t know how many times I bought those fried chickens just because I could smell them from the bus stop.
So what can we do? Be aware of those sensations and let them go. Stick to your shopping list!
Inge Santoso, B. Com, CFP®
