Did you ever get a catalog in the mail, leaf through it, and make a phone or on-line purchase immediately or within a few hours? Have you thought about delaying these purchase impulses a while? By doing so you may find that your financial (and mental) condition will be improved markedly over time.

Here’s all it takes: When you find something you like write the page number on the back of the catalog. When you’ve finished perusing the catalog sit it aside for several days. Then come back and review the items you’ve marked. I’d bet that you’ll find that several, if not all, of them are of less or no interest.

Here’s what happens: When you look through the catalog the first time you are comparing each item to the other items, and certain ones will stand out as being of more interest. But that’s a relative view. When you come back and look at the selected items a few days later, you’re looking at them on an absolute basis, and therefore with less emotion.

When you do this you’ll find you’ll make fewer purchases. After all, how long have you gone so far without these items? What will be the real impact of waiting a bit longer?

So you’ll keep more of your money, and it will grow through your investments rather than being frittered away on impulse buys. And you’ll find that you’ll become more self-directed … less impacted by externally imposed images and messages. In effect you’ll be more in charge of your life!