Controlling Impulse Spending: Stick to your List when Shopping

After reading Get Rich Slowly‘s take on Controlling impulse spending with a 30 day rule I paused to think and consider the best way I found to not buy things I do not need or want. The answer is very simple: stick to your list. It takes the stress out of the shopping trip since you already know what you are going to get and which stores you will visit. Besides that I hate to be say food shopping and trying to remember what I might have forgotten. I do not like to clutter my mind with things so I usually write them down. This led me to sign up this week for Backpack with the Calendar (basic option: $5.00 per month). Their motto is Collect, Organize and Get things Done. This way I can access my To-Do’s from any computer and web browser available wherever I am and share it with others.
The logic behind The 30 day rule is very simple: if you still want something 30 days after you felt the Impulse to buy it (and resisted), it might mean you really want it. Could be just a craving though.
I first read about this 30 day rule on Lifehacker.