This Unexpected Money-Saving Hack Is Already On Your Phone

Have you ever found yourself buying something you don’t need while shopping online? It might be a cute shirt, a new phone case, or a viral beauty product you saw while scrolling. Even if you didn’t want it or know it existed five seconds ago, you still find yourself adding it to your cart, hitting purchase, and then gleefully tracking your package.

It’s fun to experience the rush of a new item coming your way, but this shopping habit can also break your budget. If you want to stop the madness, creators on TikTok recommend taking a screenshot of the product page and saving it for later. It’s an easy trick that could buy you some time to decide if you really want the item, and many find that it helps them save money.

This is what creator @renee.benes likes to do. “You’d be amazed at how much your desire for something reduces just by snapping a quick pic or screenshot,” she said in a video. In her comments, one person wrote, “So true! I keep an album of stuff I think is cool — the stuff doesn’t have to live in my house.” Another said, “It works!”

Creator @mara_sumner does this, too. “I screenshot things so I don’t buy them,” she said. “I [then] have to wait at least 30 days, that’s my rule!” Some items she screenshotted? A plaid jacket, the viral Dragon Diffusion bag, a Madewell button-down, and some skincare.

In her comments, someone wrote, “I panic about things selling out!” to which she responded, “Ah, same. But I just try to remind myself that if it’s meant to be, it’ll still be there.” And how comforting is that? Here’s what to know about this trend, according to a financial expert.

Why You Should Screenshot Instead

According to Andrea Woroch, a consumer finance expert and author, it’s common to make impulsive purchases online. Throwing a few things in your cart provides a dopamine hit that makes you feel good, she says, and then you also get the excitement of waiting for the package to arrive in the mail.

Shopping online is also tricky because your card info is often saved on your phone or laptop, making it easier than ever to buy something in one click. That said, this trend also applies to IRL shopping where you might fall in love with a cute pair of shoes in a store. If that happens, take a pic instead of buying it right away.

“I love this trend because it can truly help you dodge impulse purchases.”

Here’s why screenshotting helps: It’s the perfect way to slow yourself down and assess what you really want and need before you whip out your debit card. “I love this trend because it can truly help you dodge impulse purchases and save money,” Woroch tells Bustle.

Similar to adding an item to your cart and then Xing out of the screen, “screenshotting an item works in a similar way but can even deter [the purchasing of] unnecessary items further since it's not added to your cart and calling you back,” she says.

Saving a screenshot is a way to promise yourself that you’ll come back later for a second look. It’s also reassuring to know you won’t lose the item if you scroll. Instead of buying it in the heat of the moment, it’s a way to snag yourself some extra time — and many people find they no longer want the item when they check back in a day, a week, or a month.

Using This Trend To Save Money

To try this money-saving hack, take a photo of the next item you want to buy and save it to your camera roll. You could also create a whole folder just for your “to-buy” screenshots to keep them organized.

From there, Woroch recommends waiting at least 24 hours before you revisit the screenshot. “This is a good amount of time and in many cases can make you forget about the item,” she says. It’ll also give you time to cool off so you can thinkmore clearly about whether you actually want the item or were just getting caught up in the heat of virality or FOMO.

If you forget about the pic, congrats! You just saved money. But if you can’t stop thinking about it, that’s when you can use the info in the screenshot to revisit the website or TikTok shop for a second look. This might be your sign that the item truly would add value to your life — and not just expensive clutter.

If you find you still want everything 24 hours later, then wait a full month instead like @mara_sumner. In some cases, the item will sell out, but that’s OK. It could come back in stock at a later date or it might be a sign that the purchase wasn’t meant to be. In other cases, you might realize your tastes have changed and you’ll be glad you didn’t waste your money.

Another tip? Woroch recommends deleting the picture after your initial waiting period. “When you scroll back, you will be reminded about the item kind of like a targeted ad that follows you online,” she says. To prevent yourself from wanting it all over again in six months when you’re cleaning out your photos, go ahead and get rid of it. It’s the perfect case of, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

Source:

Andrea Woroch, consumer finance expert, author