how you can use the Notes app to reduce impulsive spending

creating friction where there is essentially none

Running a mobile clinic has its perks but like any other professional setting, there are downsides. As someone who has the luxury of a flexible schedule, I have the freedom to stop by a cafe for a quick bite or snack in between sessions, listen to podcasts and music on the road, without worrying about the overhead cost of a brick and mortar office (which is still a dream of mine to have one day). On the downside, when you are within close proximity of shopping destinations in Orange County and Los Angeles, you are also in danger of impulsive spending.

“Well South Coast Plaza is only 10 minutes away, I’ll just go take a quick look.”

“Isn’t the Platform 15 minutes away? Since I’m in the area, I think I will stop by for coffee until traffic clears up.”

“I want to treat myself.”

“I deserve a little reward.”

“I think I will buy that perfume I saw on TikTok/IG/YouTube.”

“It’s a need, not a want.”

Or is it?

Rent and food are not the only things that have increased this past year; while clothing prices also increased, the quality noticeably decreased. This hasn’t stopped us from consuming. In fact, it has gotten even easier to buy. There is no “friction” in making a purchase. Don’t have a credit on hand? That’s okay. You can scan your face to buy what that one influencer is recommending you run don’t walk to grab that one thing you just know will suit you for the season. A quick scroll through TikTok, Instagram, or even the Notes section of a Substack publication is all it takes these days to click through the prompts for a last minute purchase on the smart phone.

For a fashion and beauty lover like myself, this easy access to consuming at will is something I am very cautious about.

To reduce spending in a world where information is ubiquitous and access is easy, what I’ve done is create friction:

When I see what I like (an ootd, beauty product, coats, jackets, purse, a book), I immediately take a screenshot or put it on my “wishlist” on the Notes app.

To give you an idea, this is my current wishlist:

Do I plan on buying *everything* on this list? No. If anything, this list will tell you how much product I see and covet on social media on a daily basis.

Sometimes, I even take a mirror selfie when I’m trying on something that was outside of my budget for the week:

JACKET | Buck Mason Bruiser PCH Jacket is incredibly gorgeous and I’m hoping it is still available when the time is right for me to buy it. I really am in need of a good leather jacket, but I had to defer to my list of needs. It was hard walking away from this one.

It is so easy for me to justify a purchase even if it is outside of my budget. But buyer’s remorse is a very real thing. That hits hard once the dopamine wears off. On the other hand, it is so much harder to walk away from something you really, really like, need. Right? But once the fantasy wears off as you walk back to your car, you realize that it wasn’t really a need in the first place.

So I added the above jacket to my wish list. And it felt great knowing that I stayed within my budget. And it’s such a relief to be able to interrupt my thought process by documenting it on my phone instead of reaching for my wallet.

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So every week, I scroll through my list and check off something that I no longer want to buy, or was already gifted, or something that I purchased for myself:

There is no rhyme or reason to this list; it is a mix of what I no longer want, or what I already have in the span of the last six months to a year (I really can’t remember).

I don’t delete the items that are checked off, mainly because the Type A in me wants to document everything, just in case I need to revisit said item.

Just this past week, I tried something different; instead of keeping one wish list, I started prioritizing my true needs instead of simply wants.

As the list grew, I started to lose sight of what I really needed and was budgeting for. It is so easy to get caught up in the pretty things that I had to pare down what I already had:

I noted the investment pieces (for long term use) that I was working towards. These have been on my list for 3+ months that fell by the wayside as I fell deeper into the social media rabbit hole.

So I separated the needs into a “priority wish list” that won’t exceed five items while the extensive list became more of an “archive” of sorts:

Keeping this priority list to five or less items is important because I would get less overwhelmed and more motivated to be mindful of where my money goes

This way, I am more aware of what I am budgeting for, when and where I plan to spend my hard earned money. The good news is, there is always the option of buying luxury goods secondhand. I absolutely love eBay and my recent following of Substack publication thanks it’s from ebay has cemented my excitement to use that platform.

There are coats and jackets, airport wear and watches aplenty. But if I am to be a mindful shopper and a careful curator of quality pieces, I need to remain focused and aware of what my true needs are.

These are other ways I curb the need to shop whether it’s in person or online:

• Instead of treating myself to a shopping trip, I treat myself to a cup of coffee or an iced matcha at my favorite cafe for some downtime with journaling, reading, or listening to music (even better is when I make my own drink at home).

• Instead of scrolling through product after product on my computer, I shut it off, and reach for my gratitude notebook to jot down things I am grateful for that I already have.

• I distance myself from my phone for a set number of minutes/hours (sometimes I charge it on my nightstand, or leave it on my office desk while I go to another part of the house) and catch up on some reading (today it is If My Body Could Speak by Blythe Baird)

• Keep productively busy: If I’m home, I clean out my purse (or work tote) in anticipation for the next day, do the laundry while playing a film I’ve watched a hundred times.

• If I am out of the house at a cafe or library, I embrace the boredom: I use the quiet time to think of content ideas to share.