First, let’s start with looking in detail at how I handle non-essential purchases (things I don’t strictly need).
If I don’t need something and I’m considering buying it, I put it on a list that I keep on my phone. I just type in what it is and add an online link if there’s one available.
Sometimes, if an item isn’t too expensive and I haven’t spent much of my incidental/hobby money for the month, I might just go ahead and buy the item spontaneously. I budget a certain amount for my hobbies and for such purchases each month and so some smaller purchases will come out of that money in a spontaneous way, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. An example of this: recently, I bought a couple bottles of seasoning at Trader Joe’s that we really didn’t need. I just wanted to try them out and they weren’t too expensive. I didn’t add them to any list – I just bought them.
