Showerthought: I started taking a photo of the shelf tag instead of the product, and my impulse buys dropped off a cliff

David Jenkins · 2026-10-02T13:35:04.228583+00:00

Standing in the Lowe's aisle on a Tuesday with a $79 heat gun in my hand, I realized I didn't actually need it, I just liked the yellow tag that said clearance. So I started snapping pics of price tags with my phone and walking out empty handed, telling myself I'd come back in 3 days if I still wanted it. Out of 14 pics I took over 6 weeks, I went back for exactly one thing, a $12 tape measure, and saved about $310 according to my notes. Turns out the photo makes the deal feel less urgent because I'm not holding the box anymore. Does anyone else do the walk away and come back test, or am I just weird about it?

Vivisector

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Showerthought: I started taking a photo of the shelf tag instead of the product, and my impulse buys dropped off a cliff | Buy It or Cry Later - Vivisector