<prompt> Human: For some, this may be pretty standard already. But I noticed that Ive been in the habit of convincing myself I need to buy something. Most times it goes unnoticed: you find a good watch thats reasonably priced, and because I can afford it and Ive convinced myself its reasonably priced then I make the purchase. That, I realized, was me in a short-circuit decision-making process. In a much longer process, which is likewise a bad habit, is me deciding I need to buy a Macbook Air because my Macbook Pro is heavier -- and because I need the Air so I can run a venture while in transit. Thats me trying to convince myself. As a way to manage this better, everytime in the tipping point of making a buy decision, I check myself if Im spending time to convince myself -- ie I need a new Allen Edmonds pair for this business meeting with a new client. Thats me making stuff up to convince myself I need one. So, these days - I make a concious effort to stop. This may be a no-brainer for some, but for people prone to making these impulse buys where we are convinced they were pretty smart buys, this is, to a degree, a HUGE step already. The next step is to plan my purchases a week or a month in advance. Hoping it develops into a habit to make more strategic buys  <response>: Well done, sounds like you are becoming more aware of your spendingshopping habits. Psychology is important here: will buying this truly make me happy? Will this purchase benefit my life in a meaningful way? What are the ongoing costs of maintenance? Delayed gratification and all that. Meditation can help raise your awareness in this respect not strictly finance related :p 