The Long-Term Consequences of Impulse Buying for Your Home

Impulse buying is one challenge we help our interior design + professional organizing clients in Seattle, Washington overcome.

Have you ever purchased exercise equipment + then used it for a short time but never again? What about that had-to-have kitchen gadget or a small appliance only to use it once + then never cooked with it? Or maybe (like our Principal Designer, Sherri) you’re guilty of buying a dozen mason jars for that fun Pinterest project you were working on but never finished #whoops!

In the moment right before + even just after you made the purchase, everything probably felt pretty good. Intuitively right, like yeah — let’s do this! I definitely need + could use that. 

But then as time passes, that warm tingly, had-to-have feeling subsides + without even realizing it, Poof...It’s completely gone! That feeling in the moment you once felt has dissipated.

Now, if you’re nodding your head in agreement, like “Yeah, I’ve done that!” Trust me my friend, you’re not alone. In fact, 75% of Americans admit to impulse buying each year with the average American spending an additional $2,000 a year on impulse purchases *gasp!*

That’s a staggering number of people spending money on things that really, we don’t need.

When we make purchases for ourselves + for our home without a plan + rely merely on impulse or how we feel in the moment — we often wind up being unhappy + living in a home full of unnecessary stuff. 

In the past, we’ve talked about How clutter affects your home, life + your mind, Why it’s so difficult to get rid of clutter, and The health benefits of decluttering but today... 

Let’s roll up our sleeves + really dig into impulse buying + what it’s all about, why so many of us struggle with impulse buying, the long term consequences of impulse buying + uncovering a solution –– so we can do less of it.


“Impulse buying is the negative, while living intentionally is the positive,” quote by professional organizing firm, Elegant Simplicity in Seattle, Washington.

What Is Impulse Buying

According to the Economic Times, impulse buying is defined as being the tendency to buy goods and services without planning or logic but rather relying on emotion or feeling. In other words, it’s purchases made based upon irrational thinking.

I’m curious, do you by chance know who Viktor Gruen is? If not, I can’t say I’d blame ya, because he’s not exactly an everyday household name like Chip + Johanna Gains BUT as an Austrian-born architect, he’s best known for pioneering the development of what we understand today as “the mall.” 

While Viktor intended for the mall to become a community enriching space for suburban American’s to enjoy, his work actually morphed into something that’s now referred to as the “Gruen effect.” A methodology that’s intended to overwhelm consumers in a way that they become more susceptible to making impulsive buying decisions. 

Say what! You mean I didn’t really need that fairtrade chocolate bar, electrolyte enhanced water or those xylitol mints while I stood in line at the grocery store? 

You see, in the world of retail, placement is powerful especially when it comes to us, being the unassuming consumers. From flashy colors, lights + textures to intentionally confusing layouts. Every little detail, down to the enticing come-hither smell of those ooey-gooey cinnabons wafting through the air, is intended to make us buy more.

While certainly, it makes us feel good in the moment + it appears innocent, but flip the coin boo + quickly you’ll start to realize that when you look below the surface, the goal of retailers is to shift our attention away from those meticulously detailed shopping lists.

And this my friend is what impulse buying is all about!

In fact let’s take a look at some of the biggest culprits who are absolute masters at the game of promoting impulsive buying — the grocery store (the smell of fresh baked goods or dine-out meals), Target (the under $5 section as you enter the store), IKEA (they literally make you walk the entire store before you can check out).

Not only are they masters at making us vulnerable by appealing to our senses but every interaction has been carefully orchestrated + is designed in an effort to pull us away from the things you know you need towards things you f-e-e-l like buying in the moment. 

 

Why Do We Struggle With Impulse Buying?

Certainly, there are several reasons we struggle when it comes to impulse buying. And while this isn’t a comprehensive list, it does address three of the most common struggles that we are extremely well versed at addressing –– as they relate to purchases for your home. 

Emotional Impulse buying

Our emotional state plays a major role in not only what we buy but when we buy it. Linking our purchases to our emotional highs or lows is a dangerous habit to form because it means the things we bring into our homes + the design or organizing decisions we make are subject to the emotional state we’re in.

Ever been on a shopping spree when you stumbled across a “cute little something” you felt would be perfect for (fill in the blank)? Or maybe you’re so fed up with your home always feeling unfinished that you went out + just bought something to fill the void.

Whether it be an area rug, a decorative piece of artwork or even a sizable piece of furniture –– by the time you got home you found yourself saying “OMG, what was I thinking?!?!” No, shame. Impulse buying from an emotional state can get the best of any of us.

Shopping is fun

We probably could’ve linked emotional impulse buying together with this one but loving to shop + finding enjoyment out of purchasing something new are two really fundamental ways that impulse buying can become a struggle. 

For others, the joy found in buying something new for your home is an empowering pastime which ultimately leads to creating a home that’s filled with things that lack meaning or a whole lot of substance beyond the initial moment of finding + purchasing something new.

FOMO or Fear of Missing Out

Remember how we talked about the Gruen Effect, well it comes into play in FOMO impulse purchases as well. We’re told a place we love to shop has a sale but limited quantities are available and/or it ends at a specific date + time. Our assumption is quickly to assert that if I don’t get it now, I will miss out on a great product, a great deal + my life or home will suffer because of it.

Ok, rather dramatic *wink* but you’re getting the point :) Whatever it is wont last forever, so I must have it now. And then 6-months from now you’re like eh — probably didn’t need it.


Living room shelves organized by Elegant Simplicity a professional organizer without impulse buying  Bellevue, Washington.

What Are The Long Term Consequences Of Impulse Buying?

Wasted Money

Professional organizing stops you from wasting time, energy and money. 

Imagine for a second, holding a hundred, a thousand, or maybe even 10 thousand dollars in your hand. And now I want you to imagine yourself hocking it out the window. Now tell me, how does it make you feel? Gut-wrenchingly awful right?

Why does wasted money make us feel guilty? 

Simply because purchasing things + then rarely if ever using them isn’t who we are, at our core. You didn’t consciously stand at the register and say, “I’m going to buy this but don’t worry I’ll never, ever, use it + plan to store it in the back of my closet, where it’ll collect an inch of dust; Because it’s contributing to my goal of creating a cluttered home.” 

Wasted Time

Time is ever-fleeting. It's the one thing we certainly can't get back. Wasted time shopping for, deciding where it should live in your home, moving things from storage closet to storage closet because we don’t use it + ultimately deciding to get rid of that impulse buy eats up our precious time.

No, we’re not talking about the things you love that you + your family use everyday— we’re talking about the wasted time associated with impulse buying of things you don’t or won’t use.

Doesn’t Fit Your Homes Overall Aesthetic

Similarly, an impulse buy may not fit with the overall style or aesthetic in your home. It's important to have not only a cohesive design plan for your home but not to make impulsive purchases that disrupt the plan. These leave you with a mishmash of styles that don't work well together.

And as a professional organizer, it leaves you with useless clutter you’ll want to donate down the road.

How Do You Ensure You’re Not Impulse Buying?

So often when it comes to our homes, we resort to the path of least resistance because it simply makes us feel good — or it’s easy. 

We’d rather create a junk drawer (or a duck-before-you-open closet).

We’ll live with an unorganized or disorganized home.

We’ll buy things we know we already have but don’t know where they are simply because it’s easier. 

All of this is less difficult than actually decluttering, getting organized or setting up systems that work for your family.

But the reality is that creating a home that feels like the ultimate guilty pleasure, a home with everything you need + nothing more is all about being intentional in your decision making.

It’s about understanding what it is that you truly want for your home + then taking actionable steps to creating it + maintaining it.

What type of home do you want your kids to grow up in? 

What do you want them to remember or say about their childhood home? 

What habits or behaviors do you want to instill in them — simply by the way you live?

Impulse buying is the negative, while living intentionally is the positive. 

And yet living intentionally is about creating a plan with clear goals for each organized space in your home + then having a strategy for getting you there.


A cabinet with bins organized by professional organizers without impulse buying in Seattle, Washington by Elegant Simplicity.

List Of Strategies To Avoid Impulse Buying

Make A List

Before you go shopping, jot down all of the things that you need on a list, and be sure to stick to that list. Keeping this in mind will assist you in resisting the urge to make unnecessary impulsive purchases.

Set Your Budget + Consider The Cost

Make a plan for how much money you want to spend on your shopping trip, and stick to it. This will assist you in preventing wasteful spending on things that you don’t need.

But you also want to consider the cost. If you think you'll use the item frequently and for a long time, it may be worth the investment. However, if you'll only use it a few times, it may not be worth the cost.

Wait To Make A Purchase 

When you come across an item that you are interested in purchasing, it is best to hold off on making the purchase for at least a couple of days. This will give you time to think about whether the item is something you really need or whether it is merely an impulse buy that you made in the heat of the moment.

Avoid Shopping When You're Emotional

You should try to avoid going shopping when you are feeling anxious, stressed out, or emotional. Your emotions have the potential to cloud your judgment, which in turn increases the likelihood that you will make a purchase on a whim.

Research Before You Buy (Be Intentional)

If you are considering making a significant purchase, you should do some research first to ensure that it will meet your needs in the best possible way. To ensure that you are making an educated choice, it is important to do research in the form of reading reviews and comparison shopping for prices.


If you love this — get ready to do another happy dance for our FREE Video Course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home. And, if you’re wanting to dive even deeper into the world of organizing or design — let’s chat.