I tried the 24-hour rule last Christmas to tackle Impulse Buying- And January proved it worked

The holiday season casts a powerful spell. It’s the ‘gifting high’, that heady mix of twinkling lights, sentimental music, and the deep desire to create perfect moments for loved ones. It transforms every “Add to Cart” into a gesture of love and every in-store impulse into a celebration.

But this spell has a predictable, brutal counter-charm: January. The lights get packed away, the music stops, and the credit card statements arrive with the grim finality of a New Year’s resolution already broken. 

The financial hangover hits even harder when the back-to-school lists start rolling in, uniforms, textbooks, and stationery. For years, my joyful December self was a sworn enemy to my stressed January self.

I didn’t find a magic cure for impulse buying. I found a tool for managing it: my ‘24-Hour Rule’ List. 

It isn’t a one-time fix but a continuous practice, a peace treaty I renegotiate with myself almost daily, especially during the festive frenzy. And it works because it creates a moment of pause, a moment that cuts through emotional spending and chaotic holiday shopping habits.

Just last week, I saw a beautiful top online. It was elegant, perfectly my style and, crucially, on sale. The old circuitry fired instantly: This is it. A little gift for me. A deal! I added it to my cart. But instead of clicking “Checkout”, I deployed my rule. “I’ll buy it tomorrow”, I told myself, and closed the tab.

The next day, the retailer’s first reminder arrived by text and email. “Don’t forget your item!” I opened the link, looked again, and thought, It is nice. 

But instead of buying, I asked a new question: “When and how often would I actually wear this?” I couldn’t picture it. “I’ll come back later”, I decided, “maybe when I think of something to pair it with.”

Another day passed. Another reminder arrived. This time, I was chatting with a colleague and mentioned the top almost casually. 

As I described it, I heard myself say, “I’ll probably buy it later… or maybe I won’t.” That was the moment. I laughed and said, “If I really needed this, I’d have bought it already. The delay is the sign.”

I deleted the item from the cart. Suddenly, the sale lost its power. That series of pauses, the 24-hour rule, the retailer’s reminders turned against them, and the verbal confession created a buffer where my rational mind could catch up to my impulsive heart.

This is the superpower of the list. It isn’t a rigid budget. It is a ‘festive filter’. The rule is simple, whether you are battling in-store sensory overload or the temptation of one-click checkout: See it. Want it. Write it down. Wait. Then decide.

And in a season when many people are wondering how to stop impulse buying during Christmas, this tiny pause is transformational.

Online, the list disrupts frictionless spending. Instead of clicking “Buy Now”, you copy and paste the item into your notes. 

Name it, price it, walk away. That small detour breaks the spell of countdown timers and “low stock” warnings. The reminders you get become tests of genuine desire rather than commands to purchase. It is one of the easiest smart festive spending tips I have ever tried.

In-store, the list works like mission control. Christmas malls are designed to overwhelm. The scents, the sounds, the tactile thrill. 

Spot a “must-have” decoration? Snap a photo, add it to your list, and physically walk away. If it still feels right once you are out of the cinnamon-scented haze, you can return. Most times, you won’t.

And when I started applying this simple trick last year, everything shifted. I added one pivotal seasonal question to my 24-hour pause, especially for non-gifts: “Would I rather have this now, or have this money for back-to-school supplies in January?” 

It was simple, slightly annoying at first, but breathtakingly effective. That cute festive throw pillow suddenly looked less charming when I realised it could be a new school bag. That “expensive” sparkly outfit could cover a semester’s worth of supplies.

And the impact was immediate. Last year’s holiday season didn’t end in a financial fog. My gifts felt more intentional because nothing was panic-bought. But the real shock came in January. 

I opened my bank statement and didn’t feel that familiar jolt of dread. The money I didn’t spend on the third-string lights, the novelty mug, or the “cute but unnecessary” top was sitting ready for school shoes and science kits. I wasn’t starting the year in a deficit. I was relieved.

Seeing that shift made me pay attention to my own habits in a new way. And just to be honest, I am not saying that making a list will suddenly turn anyone into a perfectly disciplined shopper. 

It hasn’t done that for me. I still have moments where I slip, moments where the “treat yourself” mood wins. But lately I have realised I am making far fewer impulse purchases than I ever used to, simply because the list slows me down long enough to think.

It doesn’t make me perfect, but it makes me more aware, and that alone has changed everything.

That awareness is the real value. The ‘24-Hour Rule’ List didn’t fix me, and it isn’t meant to. What it gave me, even in a single season, was a process that protects me from myself.

It revealed that the tiny space between seeing and buying holds more power than I ever realised. It is where the ‘gifting high’ softens, where clarity steps in, and where my December self finally did something kind for my January self.

So this festive season, give yourself that same space. Start your list. Screenshot this rule. Share it with someone who needs it. Or revisit your cart with fresh eyes. Your future self, the calm, clear January version, will thank you.