We’ve all been there. Having a fun moment shopping, buying with the thought, “I’ll return this if I don’t like it.” It is not a bad thought to have, but sometimes procrastinating on store returns results in a loss of money. It is easy to put a return off “until tomorrow.” But, more often than not, procrastination is a disservice to the self, and when you are careful with your finances, this is a practice that can derail you quickly.

Procrastinating your returns can cost you money in the long run. While a $20 purchase you aren’t in love with may seem like a minor deal when you are in the moment, it can be more costly than you think when added up throughout the year. 

Online shopping can be one of the biggest culprits too. It is easier to buy things you don’t need that seem cheap and cute. And practical items like clothing and shoes more often than not need to be tried on first. Besides this fact, you may not be getting exactly what you ordered.

While this may be a risk taken when you are online shopping, the risk of having an easy outlet to return any rejects almost disappears. Often, online retailers make it more difficult to return an item than to buy it. Leaving you with unwanted items that you paid for and you can’t return. This can be detrimental if you have a tight budget. So always check the return policy.

So how do I stop procrastinating and start saving?

Procrastination can happen for a variety of reasons. At times, we truly are too busy to take care of all the errands that we have in a certain amount of time. Sometimes we place less importance on specific tasks, resulting in putting them off as more important things arise. And sometimes, we just plain forget. 

But being proactive to avoid these situations can be important. Finding out the best way to remind yourself to do store returns can make all the difference.

There is no best way, but there is the best way for you. Perhaps you need a reminder on your phone or a day where you sit down and look through receipts. Maybe you make Tuesday evenings after work errand day and keep everything in your car. Or perhaps you create a tighter budget that doesn’t leave room for such mishaps. Whatever way works best for you is going to be the best way to save money. 

It may take a lot of thought and hard work at first, but with a little bit of thoughtfulness,  and planning you won’t be procrastinating on your store returns for long!