Do you ever feel you did a good job at something or you're stressed and just want to buy random stuff or go shopping? Or maybe you're feeling manic and have that urge to crush your bank account buying useless crap.

Consider a placebo spend.

Try spending money on something you need to spend it on first like paying a bill online. Maybe just go fill up your gas tank. You may find that you feel a release without the blow to your credit card or bank account. At the very least, it may help you reevaluate your cashflow situation before messing up your budget.

Maybe you're thinking, "How about I just buy something a need from a store?" Like toothpaste? You may want to avoid a retail (or online retail) situation all together. Even if it starts with a standard need like toothpaste you can end up buying a fancy electric toothbrush or get sucked into sporadic purchases at the register. Stores are strategically designed by highly paid professionals to stimulate "impulse" or "add-on" purchases. E-commerce sites have very smart algorithms to suggest items that are designed to suggest the exact items you'e most likely to be attracted to for an impulse purchase. And that's the whole point of a placebo spend, to avoid impulsive purchasing behavior.

My placebo purchase is usually to pay or pre-pay my mobile bill when I'm feeling the need to spend. Afterwords, I no longer feel the itch to spend.

Also, if you do buy something you can't afford: IT IS OK TO MAKE A RETURN. Maybe you feel anxious about facing the sales person who sold you the item. DON'T. He or she may be taking a commission on the sale, but think of it this way. It's ridiculous to take a damaging blow to your budget because of a poorly planned purchase just so a sales person can get a few points on your dollar. If you feel you need support, it's even ok to ask a friend to come with you for support during the return. This will help if you feel bullied during the return process. (Not that sales people intend to bully.)