What do you think of impulse purchase? Does this situation sound familiar to you? You visit a mall to buy a T-shirt for the approaching summer. Quickly making your decision, you are about to go to the checkout counter when the salesperson recommends a pair of jeans to you. “Why not pick some new trousers to go with your T-shirt as well? Look at this, the most popular one of this season. The last pair, with a 10 per cent discount only for today.” You hesitate for a second before deciding to bring it home, although in fact, you already have more than 10 pairs of jeans in your closet and you don’t really need a new one. This is what we call impulse purchase. You might feel extremely satisfied at the moment of payment. However, a few hours later, when you have calmed down, you realize definitely that the excessive spending caused by your unplanned buying will make your tight budget even worse. As impulse purchase leads often to overspending, what should we do to avoid it? The first suggestion is to always keep your needs in mind. For instance, don’t wander over to the shoe section if your buying list only includes a T-shirt and a hat. Besides, pausing before making a purchase is a wise practice. When you want to buy a new coat, simply tell yourself you can buy it tomorrow or next week but not today. And most of the time, you may have cooled on the idea by the time you walk out the door.