The "Saying Instead Of Buying" Trend Can Save You Serious Cash

Hot pink phone case. Green workout set. Woven tote bag. Gourmand perfume. Instead of buying the things they want the instant they see them, many people on TikTok are talking about the items out loud as a way to curb their spending.

The “saying instead of buying” trend is all over the app, especially amongst those who like to hit “add to cart” multiple times a day. In one viral clip posted Sept. 7, creator @alyssaashleymayer listed all the things she’d been eyeing online and in real life. “I’m disgusted by how much I’ve been spending,” she said. As she verbally listed everything instead of purchasing, it’s like she realized in an instant that she had been shopping too much.

In another clip, @katieg134 said, “Attempting to do no-spend September, so this is me telling you guys what I want instead of buying it.” In the span of a few days, Katie wanted an oversized T-shirt, food from Chipotle, a purse from Old Navy, dark denim jeans, and a fleece. She also really wanted to get her nails done, but managed not to go through with it. In her comments, someone said, “Wow, I need to do this.” Another wrote, “Wait, I love this [idea]. This is genius.”

While some joked that the trend would 100% influence them to go shopping, many said that reciting the items out loud actually worked. When @vruvitsdhanya listed the things she was tempted to purchase — stacked rings, an egg cooker, a maxi dress with a plunging neckline — she said, “Weirdly it does help with the impulse to buy LOL I didn’t expect it to.”

Here, a financial expert explains why “saying instead of buying” can be a huge help.

Why “Saying Instead Of Buying” Works

According to Jen Lawrence, MBA, a business coach, financial expert, and instructor at the University of Toronto, it’s very common to buy things you don’t need or to have an ongoing wishlist running in your head, especially if you’re constantly scrolling online and receiving targeted ads.

“When doom-scrolling, our central nervous systems are taxed and we are not doing our best pre-frontal cortex-driven thinking, so it's easy to believe that a hair tool on Instagram may be the perfect thing to change our lives for the better,” she tells Bustle.

When you see something you like and hit “add to cart,” you get a rush of dopamine, and it’s something that continues as you track your package’s whereabouts. “We might also feel some kind of connection to the influencer who is selling it to us, releasing feel-good chemicals like oxytocin,” she adds. Of course, shopping can also distract you from your everyday stress too.

The “saying instead of buying” hack works for many because it’s tough for your brain to differentiate between the things you imagine wanting and reality. “This is also why sports psychologists will have athletes rehearse important competitions in their minds or mentally go through practice sessions when they are injured,” Lawrence says.

When you say “hair straightener” out loud and imagine yourself making the purchase, you benefit from all the same happy hormones. “This is particularly true of online purchases where our imagination is doing a lot of the work,” she says. “We aren’t feeling the super soft cashmere in the influencer's post, but we are using our brains to imagine how soft it might feel. By saying the name and imagining it — and maybe even hitting ‘add to cart’ — we get a lot of the same benefits as making the purchase.”

In some cases, saying the item out loud can also make you realize how ridiculous it is. When you hear yourself say, “croissant lamp” or “holographic teacup set,” it might help you snap out of the trance and realize the purchase isn’t a necessity. At least not right now.

Who Should Try This Hack?

This hack might not be for you if listing all the items makes you feel more connected to them, and all of a sudden, you need the green workout set even more because you started talking about it.

It could work like a charm, however, if you tend to shop online, romanticize your purchases, and then quickly forget about them once they arrive.

It’s also the perfect hack for anyone with a vivid imagination. “If you can see yourself wearing the new trench coat on an imaginary trip to Paris, you can likely benefit as much from not buying the object,” Lawrence says. Since so much of the appeal of shopping is related to dopamine, and not an actual need for an item, this trending hack could be all you need.

How To Make It Work For You

Curious about giving this hack a try? Start by saying the thing you want, and pausing to see what happens next. It’s possible acknowledging the item will fill you with enough glee that you’re able to move on — and hopefully forget about it. Either that, or you’ll recognize you don’t need it.

It may also help to lean into the story behind the item as a way to jumpstart your dopamine. Say “navy blue sweater” and then daydream about your life with it. Lawrence recommends picturing yourself in an apple orchard on a perfect fall day to get those feel-good chemicals. To prevent yourself from buying, go shop your closet and look for something similar.

Try it out a few times, and if it works, congrats! You’ve got yourself a new money-saving hack.

Source:

Jen Lawrence, MBA, business coach, financial expert, teacher at the University of Toronto