The trend of massive discounts in early 2026 often triggers Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), which clouds the logic between saving and spending. To keep your finances healthy at the start of the year, here are 5 tips to control your shopping impulses.
Understand that labels such as “Flash Sale” or “Limited Stock” are psychological techniques to shut down the logical function of the brain (prefrontal cortex). In fact, a 70% discount does not mean you are ‘saving’ 70%, but rather that you are still “losing” 30% of your money. Focus on the nominal value spent, not the size of the discount.
Don't enter the shopping arena without a plan. Use a verification system before making a transaction, make sure you don't already have a similar item at home, and use a price tracker to ensure that the discount is real and not just a price that has been raised beforehand. In addition, you should also calculate whether the price of the item is comparable to how often you will use it in the future.
Use a simple matrix to filter your shopping cart. Consider the items in your cart based on their functionality, emotional value, or whether they are substitutes. After considering them, you can decide which items to keep in your cart, which to remove, or which to keep.
To avoid accumulating unnecessary items, apply a strict rule: for every new item that enters your home, one old item must be sold or donated. This rule will naturally make you think twice before adding non-essential items to your collection.
Every dollar spent on consumable items due to FOMO is a dollar lost for future goals. Imagine redirecting that money to an emergency fund or investment instruments. Starting 2026 with a green portfolio is far more satisfying than starting the year with a pile of packages.
Being wise about discounts doesn't mean being anti-shopping, but rather being selective. Don't let online store algorithms dictate how you spend your hard-earned money.
Source: unair.ac.id
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