Budgeting expert reveals her easy money-saving hack that will stop you from making impulse buys

A finance expert has revealed her top tip to help you avoid those impulse buys and save you money in the long run.

The crucial advice was shared in a new video on TikTok by Paige Pritchard, who is the founder of the online community Overcoming Overspending, where she helps others reach their ‘full financial potential.’

Pritchard, who is based in Texas, has been candid about how she once blew through a $60,000-a-year salary while living at home with her parents after college.

But since then, she has managed to curbed her spending, paying off $98,000 in student loans and building up a six-figure investment portfolio by the time she was 29.

She has since been sharing financial wisdom with her followers on social media, coaching them on how they can spend less – and this time was no different.

Pritchard began the clip by explaining a concept that is normally used with toddlers when they want to get something and start throwing a tantrum when told no.

She said that typically, parents will take a picture of the toddler with the item they are begging for, and then promise to revisit it at a different time.

However, it turns out that this method isn’t only for kids as Pritchard recommends adults try it for themselves, too.

‘I know that you are an adult, I know that you are a grown woman, but the truth is, and I’m speaking to myself as well, that we’re not that different than our toddlers,’ Pritchard explained.

‘We still don’t wanna be told no, we still pitch a fit when there’s something that we want that we tell ourselves that we can’t have,’ she continued.   

So, she instructed viewers to start taking pictures of the things that they want to buy, much like parents do for their toddlers, and adding them to your own personal list.

Pritchard herself does this, adding any screenshots or photos she’s taken of things she would like to buy into a special album on her phone.

‘I would say that half of the things that get added onto my list I never end up buying,’ the expert admitted.

She recently instructed followers to start taking pictures of the things that they want to buy, much like parents do for their toddlers, and adding them to your own personal list

Pritchard herself does this, adding any screenshots or photos she’s taken of things she would like to buy into a special album on her phone

And, there’s a reason why this method is ‘so effective,’ too.

‘When you flat out tell yourself ‘no,’ when you see something that you want to buy… you are having to rely on so much willpower, because really how your brain interprets that is restriction and deprivation, which obviously your brain hates,’ Pritchard said.

She explained that when you’re simply taking a picture of the item, you’re just telling your brain ‘maybe’ instead of ‘no,’ which is something that your ‘brain can live with.’

Of course, the list can help you save money, too, as you may realize you don’t need every single thing that you put on the list.

In the comments section of her video, Pritchard was met with praise about the method – and some people even admitted that they had tried it out for themselves.

‘I quite literally do this and never ever remember what I want enough to go look at the pictures,’ one person wrote.

Another agreed, ‘I do that for myself, and my friends when we go shopping. I said let’s take a picture with it, and then if I ever need gift ideas, I have a whole photo album.’ 

‘It has to sit in my cart for at least a week before I’m allowed to buy it. I end up deleting most of the things,’ someone else typed.

So, the next time you have the urge to buy something during your Target run or trip to Sephora, snap a picture instead – your wallet will thank you later.