7 helpful tips on how to avoid budol during monthly sales

Are you addicted to online shopping? Have you experienced budol or ever been tempted by a friend to buy something?

With more and more sales every month becoming the norm on dates like 2.2, 3.3, and so on, it may be more difficult to save up for the times when you really need money, like for emergencies or your future.

On the "Share Ko Lang" podcast, psychologist Dr. Anna Tuazon discussed budol with Charm de Leon, Founder of Ready2Adult PH, a YouTube channel on all things adulting, including managing finances.

Doc Anna had this to say on budol: "May pagka-sense na nabiktima or nangyari ito sa 'yo rather than an active choice, active intentional choice that you make."

Here are some of their tips to avoid budol or being tempted to buy things you don't really need.

1. Have a better mentality about it

Doc Anna and Charm advised to avoid a YOLO ("You only live once") mentality, "deserve ko" mentality, or FOMO ("Fear of missing out") mentality when online shopping.

"'Yung mga sale like 11.11, 12.12, 'pag wala kang gustong bilhin, parang feeling mo you're missing out," Charm said. "'Dapat may bilhin ako kasi sayang 'yung discount. Sayang 'yung sale.' So it has that mental effect on us na parang, 'Sale today. Sayang if wala akong bilhin.'"

Doc Anna agreed, saying, "Usually, pamimigay mo or it adds clutter pa."

For Charm, however, this is the opposite of what we should be doing—that is, buying things only when we need them.

While some of us sometimes engage in splurging, thinking that we deserve to enjoy the money we work hard for, Charm said we need to draw the line somewhere.

"If lagi nating sinasabi na, 'Deserve ko 'yan, deserve ko 'to,' ganyan-ganyan, where do you stop, 'di ba? Kasi deserve din naman natin mag-enjoy sa pera natin in the future. So dapat hindi natin ubusin right now," Charm said.

Instead of having the YOLO mentality, Charm suggested to think about living a long life.

"Dapat deserve din ng older self natin to be comfortable, to not struggle financially. And that's what we have to find a balance of," she said.

Doc Anna offered a different way of thinking about it: "Instead of 'Deserve ko 'to,' baka puwede nilang isipin, 'I deserve better than this particular item.' Sabi mo nga, I deserve siguro long-term security."

She said that an aspect of the "deserve ko 'to" mentality is about the sense of worth that the things we buy gives us, which leads to emotional instead of rational decision-making.

"Sabi mo nga, s'yempre deserve, hindi naman sa hindi natin deserve, ang problema nga you deserve a lot of things. It doesn't mean we buy them all," Doc Anna said.

2. Consider going at least one month with no spending

Charm shared, "I also like doing a no-spend month every February. So every February, I parang I created this tradition. We've been doing it for four years, fifth year ngayon February, wherein I don't spend on anything unnecessary."

"And I like doing it in February kasi 'yun 'yung shortest month of the year, 'di ba? So also it helps me have a perspective, a good reset for the rest of the year," she added.

But really, it can be done during any month of your choosing or for more than one month. Roman Catholics may also consider doing this for Lent.

3. Divert your attention to something else, ideally offline

Charm said one reason people shop is because of boredom.

"So ang mahal naman ng cure for boredom mo," she said.

Doc Anna suggested that instead of shopping online or in stores, consider doing other things offline to distract yourself.

"Ang sabi ng isang Kapuso, 'Puwede mong i-uninstall 'yung app. Gawa ka ng mga household chore tapos ligo ka na lang nang madalas," she said.

Sabi nung isa, 'Imbes na mag-scroll ako sa mga app, ang ginagawa ko, nanonood ako ng mga movie, then, madalas ako lumabas. In a way, napipigilan ko sarili ko mag-add to cart," Doc Anna said.

Charm also suggested unfollowing or at least temporarily unfollowing budol channels and budol accounts.

"It could be just unintentional lang talaga 'yung pagsho-shop mo," Charm said. "Mindless scrolling and mindless checking out which is very dangerous to your financial health."

4. Set a specific budget because small things add up

Charm recommends setting a monthly budget.

"So, for example, you're gonna say, 'I'm only gonna spend on online shopping—P2,000 a month. 'Yan 'yung limit mo. Kasi when you say, 'I only spend only hundreds,' minsan P1,000. The thing about that is in my philosophy when it comes to budgeting is even the small things, they really do add up," Charm said.

Doc Anna confessed that she often ends up buying things she doesn't really need when they happen to be really cheap. However, she reminded everyone that the money you end up spend does not only correspond to the price of the item.

"Hindi ko siya kailangan pero P50 lang. Bakit ang mura-mura niya? So bibili ako pero actually may shipping 'yun, may delivery fee each time. Tapos kung doon ka sa mga marketplace na type of sites or apps, 'di ba, hiwa-hiwalay 'yung dine-delivery sa 'yo," she said.

"Kasi actually mas nakakabudol talaga 'yung mga small item."

5. Have at least two savings accounts

Charm recommends having a separate savings account from your main account so you can keep track of your savings.

"I also had that bad habit before wherein isa lang 'yung account ko," she said. "So, hindi ko natatantiya kung magkano talaga 'yung nase-save ko month to month."

"But when I open a separate savings account wherein I put 20% of my income every month, 'di ba? Itong account na 'to, walang lalabas. Papasok lang lahat."

With two savings accounts, Charm said you are able to limit your expectations about how much money you actually have.

"Kasi if isang account lang lahat, ang feeling mo ang yaman-yaman mo, 'di ba?" she said.

"So if you can help yourself feel like you're maintaining the same lifestyle by putting away a portion of your income, setting it aside for savings, investments, emergency fund, this is the only amount that you can work with, it really helps it be easier for you not to get tempted."

6. If you can, avoid cashless spending and using a credit card

Charm also warned about cashless spending and using a credit card, as using them can make us less aware of how much we are buying.

"We don't really feel the pain of spending anymore—not like before na parang you pay everything in cash," she said.

Doc Anna concurred, saying, "Kailangang maramdaman mo, kailangan may kaunting ang hassle. Ang problema kapag walang ka-hassle-hassle, sabi mo nga pre-saved na, one click. One click shopping. May mga site na ganun."

"Talaga namang hindi mo mamamalayan, or kung credit card ang gagamitin mo, hindi mo mararamdaman ang sakit until the end of the month tapos doon ka na lang iiyak. Parang, 'Bakit ko ito binili? Worth it ba?'"

7. Think about if you really need it, and if you do, try some cheaper options to buy it

Doc Anna suggested that if you want to buy something from a store in your neighborhood or sari-sari store, try walking there. That way, according to Doc, you exercise, save on shipping fee, support local businesses, and be more eco-friendly since it's less waste on packaging for delivery items.

"So, actually, baka it's time na rin na i-consider natin na option pa rin ang offline buying," she said.

Charm agreed, saying that it can be another obstacle that you have to get into your car or walk somewhere to buy the items.

"So if hindi mo talaga kailangan, hindi mo talaga e-effort-an bilhin as compared to the ease of online. So tama rin naman. Know what you need talaga," Charm said.

Yet, Charm said, "Feel free to buy online. Feel free to reward yourself once in a while—basta may limit, may budget."

"Hindi naman nasa-sacrifice 'yung savings and investment natin," she added.

"Share Ko Lang" is a GMA podcast and is available for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

—Kimberly Tsao/MGP, GMA Integrated News