The ’48-hour rule’ saving Australian shoppers thousands every year: ‘It actually works’

A growing number of Australians say they have found an unlikely weapon against impulse spending: simply waiting.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets, shoppers are increasingly turning to small behavioural tricks to stop unnecessary purchases before they happen.

Among the most popular is the ’48-hour rule’ – a simple habit that requires people to leave non-essential items sitting in their online shopping carts for two days before checking out.

For one shopper, the strategy has saved far more money than any budgeting app or savings challenge.

‘I realised most of my impulse purchases happened because I convinced myself I needed something immediately,’ they wrote on Reddit.

‘Now if it’s not urgent, I leave it in the cart for two days.’

The results surprised them.

‘Probably 70 per cent of the things I thought I wanted never get purchased because I completely forget about them.’

At a time when online shopping has never been easier, many financial experts argue that convenience is often the biggest enemy of saving.

With one-click checkouts, buy-now-pay-later services, and targeted advertising following consumers across social media, spending money can happen almost instantly – often long before shoppers have had time to consider whether they genuinely want or need something.

The 48-hour rule works by interrupting that process.

Instead of acting on the initial rush of excitement that comes with spotting a new product, shoppers create a cooling-off period that gives emotions time to settle and rational decision-making time to catch up.

The strategy closely mirrors advice previously shared by Melbourne financial adviser and She’s On The Money founder Victoria Devine.

One of her top money-saving tips is what she calls becoming a more conscious consumer.

‘Put time between you and your purchases. Instead of just adding to your cart and buying straight away, wait 24 hours, or a few days and see if you still really want that product,’ she advised.

More often than not, she said, people discover the urge passes. The idea resonated with hundreds of shoppers who shared their own versions of the rule.

Some said the waiting period often unlocked an unexpected bonus.

‘Most online stores will email you a coupon code if you leave something in your cart and don’t buy it. So the things you do buy will often be bought cheaper,’ one person said.

Others have taken the concept even further by removing online shopping from the equation entirely.

One Melbourne resident said they insist on buying almost everything in person.

‘Everything I want gets put on a list and then I have to find it in an actual store. If I can’t be bothered leaving the house to get it, I clearly don’t want it,’ they explained.

They admitted the approach isn’t necessarily the cheapest option but said it dramatically reduced unnecessary spending.

‘It’s crazy how many things I ‘desperately’ want end up being forgotten within a week.’

Several people traced their spending habits back to the pandemic, when boredom and endless hours at home fuelled online shopping sprees.

One shopper said they accumulated far too many unnecessary purchases before introducing a mandatory waiting period.

‘When COVID hit, I found myself buying things because I was bored. Now I put them in the cart and come back later. Sure enough, I either forgot about them or realised I didn’t need them,’ they said.

Others rely on even simpler techniques. Some take screenshots of items and revisit them a week later, while others write purchases down on a list instead of buying immediately.

‘Just the act of writing it down seems to stop the need in its tracks,’ one person explained.

A number of shoppers said they redirect their attention to second-hand marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay.

Not only can the products often be found for a fraction of the original price, but the extra effort involved in searching, negotiating, and organising collection creates another natural barrier against impulse buying.

‘Hunting and haggling for the item acts as a circuit breaker too,’ one shopper said.

For clothing purchases, some have adopted a different approach altogether.

‘If I see something I love, I wait until it’s on sale. If they still have it in my size, I buy it,’ one person explained.

The popularity of these self-imposed rules reflects a broader shift in how Australians are approaching money.

Rather than relying solely on strict budgets or dramatic spending bans, many are focusing on changing the habits and behaviours that drive unnecessary purchases in the first place.

That philosophy sits at the heart of Victoria Devine’s approach to saving.

Rather than chasing quick wins, she encourages people to embrace delayed gratification – the ability to tolerate waiting for something rather than seeking immediate rewards.

She also recommends breaking large savings goals into smaller milestones, reducing non-essential spending, meal planning, shopping more strategically and becoming more intentional with everyday purchases.

‘So many people set goals that are unrealistic,’ she said.

Instead, she encourages Australians to focus on small, achievable targets that build momentum over time.

For many households grappling with rising grocery bills, rent increases and higher mortgage repayments, that approach may feel more achievable than attempting a complete spending overhaul.

And if the growing popularity of the 48-hour rule is anything to go by, sometimes the simplest money-saving strategy isn’t finding more money – it’s simply giving yourself enough time to decide whether you wanted to spend it in the first place.