Like, since being converted to communism, and even before, when I read the banksy quote about how advertising has no right to be there in the first place. It's astounding just how often money is tied into the human experience. We bring it up all the damn time, about what's a smart way to spend money, what's a not-smart way, "a fool and his money are soon parted," there's sayings about it. It's just kinda depressing. Like, before I got converted, I remember, I would dream about all the cars I would buy if I won the lottery. How I wouldn't be "dumb" like those other lottery winners and "waste it" on stupid stuff. I don't know. Just stream-of-consciousness writing at this point.
This might be cliche, so im sorry, but whats helped me is just waiting a day and thinking on it. I've made more than my fair share of impulse buys, but when I give myself time it usually doesn't seem as urgent.
When I get my paychecks I put money towards bills, pay of my credit cards, restock my checking and all the rest is saving.
Whatever I have to get in the next 2 weeks is limited by what's in my checking. This saved my ass when paying off student loans.
Once you start saving more it becomes satisfying in its own right and its easier not to spend on frivolous things