A simple yet effective strategy, the 30-day savings rule is something anyone can implement in their financial routine to help curb impulsive spending.
The rule, which encourages people to pause and reflect on nonessential purchases for a month before making them, can lead to substantial savings growth. It’s especially salient at a time when 57 percent of Americans are uncomfortable with their level of emergency savings.
Here’s how the 30-day savings rule works and how it helps you save.
Understanding how the 30-day savings rule works
The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.
Some questions you can ask yourself during the month-long interval before making a decision on the purchase are:
- Is the item/service a need or a want?
- Can I afford it without sacrificing other financial goals?
- Have I researched better deals and alternatives?
- Can I allocate the money to a higher priority?
You can apply the rule to both large purchases and small daily expenses. Imagine being tempted to purchase a high-end electronic item for $800. Waiting 30 days provides time to assess whether the item is a genuine need or a fleeting desire, encouraged by flashy marketing.
Or, consider a daily habit, such as buying a cup of specialty coffee for $6. Over the course of a month, this routine can accumulate to $180. Applying the 30-day rule in this case might mean making coffee at home for a month and potentially redirecting that money toward savings or debt repayment.
What is impulse spending?
Impulse spending refers to the spontaneous purchases made without thorough consideration or a genuine need. It’s the quick decision to buy something simply because it’s momentarily appealing.
While it might lead to a sense of instant gratification, impulse spending can contribute to a number of long-term harmful effects taking aim on your wallet. It can erode your budget, diverting funds from essential expenses or financial goals. It can also lead to increased debt and diminished savings. Eventually, it might cause a strain on your financial well-being and mental health, due to feelings of guilt, regret and struggling to keep up with your finances.
By introducing the 30-day rule into your life, you directly address impulse spending. The rule acts as a cooling-off period, encouraging time for reflection and a more intentional approach to spending. It can help you distinguish between genuine needs and impulse wants while minimizing buyer’s remorse.
Tips for implementing the 30-day rule
To make the most of the 30-day rule, follow these steps:
- Create a wishlist: Maintain a list of items you desire to purchase and revisit it after the waiting period is up. You might find that some of those items have lost their appeal.
- Track savings: Use a dedicated savings account for the money you save by resisting impulse spending. Seeing how your savings grow can serve as a continuous motivator.
- Prioritize financial goals: Consider how the potential purchase aligns with both short-term and long-term financial goals. Redirect funds toward these goals as needed.
- Use a budgeting app: You can leverage technology to help you keep track of your spending and goals. Apps like PocketGuard and You Need a Budget can provide real-time insights into your spending habits, so you gain awareness of how you tend to impulse buy and where to focus on saving more.
- Reward yourself occasionally: Not every purchase needs to be put off. It’s important to have an intentional reward system in place to make the process of curbing impulse spending more enjoyable. Just make sure that the rewards remain in your budget — a reward can be something non-transactional, too, such as a day trip to the beach.
Bottom line
By incorporating the 30-day rule into your financial toolkit, you can not only control impulse spending but also establish a solid foundation for long-term financial stability. Consider redirecting savings to an emergency fund, to ensure that you have a financial buffer in the case of an unexpected expense.
FAQs
Here's how it works: When you have the urge to make an impulse purchase, wait for 30 days and give yourself time to think about it. While considering the purchase, deposit the money you need for it into a savings account. If you still want to buy that item after the 30-day period is up, go for it.
What is the 30 day rule for spending? ›
With the 30 day savings rule, you defer all non-essential purchases and impulse buys for 30 days. Instead of spending your money on something you might not need, you're going to take 30 days to think about it. At the end of this 30 day period, if you still want to make that purchase, feel free to go for it.
Is the 50/30/20 rule realistic? ›
The 50/30/20 rule can be a good budgeting method for some, but it may not work for your unique monthly expenses. Depending on your income and where you live, earmarking 50% of your income for your needs may not be enough.
What is the 70 20 10 budget rule? ›
The 70-20-10 budget formula divides your after-tax income into three buckets: 70% for living expenses, 20% for savings and debt, and 10% for additional savings and donations. By allocating your available income into these three distinct categories, you can better manage your money on a daily basis.
What is the 30 day rule for buying? ›
The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.
What is the rule for impulse buying? ›
The 1% spending rule will help you learn how to avoid impulse buying and how to control impulse buying. Luckily, the 1% spending rule is simple and goes like this - when you want to buy something that exceeds 1% of your annual gross income, you have to wait one day before buying it.
What is the golden rule for spending money? ›
The rule is simple: spend less than you earn. The basic idea behind the Golden Rule of Spending is that you should always spend less than you earn. This means that you should only spend what you make in income, and you should be careful to budget your money in a way that allows you to save and invest for the future.
Can you live off $1000 a month after bills? ›
Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.
Is $4000 a good savings? ›
Ready to talk to an expert? Are you approaching 30? How much money do you have saved? According to CNN Money, someone between the ages of 25 and 30, who makes around $40,000 a year, should have at least $4,000 saved.
Is the 30 rule outdated? ›
The 30% Rule Is Outdated
To start, averages, by definition, do not take into account the huge variations in what individuals do. Second, the financial obligations of today are vastly different than they were when the 30% rule was created.
When following the 10-10-80 rule, you take your income and divide it into three parts: 10% goes into your savings, and the other 10% is given away, either as charitable donations or to help others. The remaining 80% is yours to live on, and you can spend it on bills, groceries, Netflix subscriptions, etc.
What is the 90 10 rule for spending? ›
The 90/10 strategy calls for allocating 90% of your investment capital to low-cost S&P 500 index funds and the remaining 10% to short-term government bonds. Warren Buffett described the strategy in a 2013 letter to his company's shareholders.
What is the 10 savings rule? ›
“Save 10 percent of your income.”
Putting away some money on a regular basis—even if it's a small amount—can help you manage unexpected expenses and emergencies and reach your financial goals. Instructions: Use this worksheet to create your own personal rule to live by that will help you meet your savings goals.
What is the 33 rule in finance? ›
There are some simple rules to manage your expenses. One such interesting rule is the 33–33–33 rule which asks you to break your in-hand income into three equal parts — 33% of the income goes towards essential expenses or needs, 33% for non-essential expenses or wants, and 33% to savings and investing.
What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›
The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
How to stop spending money for 30 days? ›
How to be Successful in a No-Spend Month, 10 Tips and Tricks
- Choose the right month. ...
- Research free activities to do in your local area. ...
- Put your money away to reduce the temptation. ...
- Get your friends and family involved. ...
- Remind yourself why you're committing to a no-spend month. ...
- Track or monitor progress.
You usually must pay self-employment tax if you had net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more. Generally, the amount subject to self-employment tax is 92.35% of your net earnings from self-employment.
What are the monthly spending rules? ›
Try the 50/30/20 rule as a simple budgeting framework. Allow up to 50% of your income for needs, including debt minimums. Leave 30% of your income for wants. Commit 20% of your income to savings and debt repayment beyond minimums.
What is the 72 hour spending rule? ›
The rule is quite simple. For all non-essential purchases, before you make the purchase, wait 72 hours. When you do this, you shift the decision-making from the emotional part of your brain to the logical side of your brain.
What is the 5X spending rule? ›
For a while, the answer eluded me, but eventually, I discovered that—whether they realized it or not—successful entrepreneurs follow a simple rule: Every dollar spent on growth must produce 5 dollars in revenue. I call this the 5X rule.
