44 | How to Stop Impulse Buying on Your Phone This Black Friday: 4 Simple Ways to Shop with Intention

$11.3 million dollars per minute.

That’s how much Americans spent online last Black Friday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Four hours. $11.3 million dollars every single minute.

In 2024, U.S. consumers spent $10.8 billion dollars online on Black Friday alone, marking a 10% increase from the year before. Globally, that number reached $74.4 billion in just 24 hours.

The most striking part? 69% of those purchases happened on mobile devices. Your phone has become a direct pipeline straight into your bank account, and retailers know exactly how to exploit it.

If you’ve ever wondered how to stop impulse buying when every retailer seems to have psychological warfare on their side, this guide will show you exactly what’s happening and give you four simple practices to shop with intention instead.

Why Your Phone Makes Black Friday Impulse Buying Worse

Think about the tactics retailers use. Countdown timers on every product page. “Only 3 left in stock” warnings flashing in red. Flash sales that disappear in an hour. Personalized ads that follow you from app to app, showing you that exact item you looked at yesterday.

This is psychological warfare, and your attention is the battlefield.

Research shows that only 38% of Black Friday shoppers strictly buy what they planned in advance, leaving the majority vulnerable to impulse purchases. During major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, 90% of consumers make spontaneous purchases, with smartphones being the primary tool retailers use to trigger these unplanned buys.

The marketing industry understands something crucial: when you’re on your phone hunting for that one thing, you’re vulnerable to five more things. You came for the discounted mixer to make holiday goodies. Suddenly you’re also looking at smartwatches, throw pillows, and a subscription box you didn’t know existed ten minutes ago.

It’s a trap. Black Friday used to be one day. Now it starts a week before and stretches through Cyber Monday and beyond. The entire week becomes one long scroll through deals, comparing prices, adding to your cart, deleting from your cart, checking reviews, refreshing pages.

While we’re doing all of that, we’re missing something far more important.

The Collision Between Black Friday and Advent

Black Friday lands on a Friday. Two days later, it’s Sunday and Advent begins.

One day designed to make you spend. The other designed to make you wait.

One screaming “buy now before it’s gone.” The other whispering “slow down and prepare your heart.”

Somehow, we’re supposed to navigate both. Instead of entering Advent with peace and anticipation, many of us stumble into it exhausted, overstimulated, and already behind on our credit card payments.

When Impulse Buying Becomes a Spiritual Issue

The question we need to ask isn’t just about money. What if Black Friday’s biggest cost isn’t measured in dollars, but in peace?

In Hebrews 13:5, Paul writes, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'”

Content with what you have.

That’s a revolutionary statement in a culture screaming that you need more, better, newer, upgraded. Messages bombard you constantly: your life isn’t complete until you buy this thing, at this price, right now, quick — before it’s gone. The retailers don’t want you to know this truth: you already have everything you need.

Not because you’re living some minimalist lifestyle off-grid in a cabin. Because in Christ, you’re complete. You’re whole. Your identity isn’t tied to what you own or what you can afford.

Psalm 23:1 reminds us, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.” Some translations say, “I lack nothing.” This familiar verse becomes a powerful anchor when you’re staring at a screen full of deals designed to make you feel like you’re missing out.

When we anchor ourselves in that truth, the urgency begins to melt away.

Think about what Christmas actually celebrates. God entered our world as a baby in a manger. The presence of God with us. Emmanuel. The greatest gift ever given had nothing to do with consumption and everything to do with presence.

How to Stop Impulse Buying on Black Friday: 4 Simple Practices

Getting a good deal isn’t wrong. If you’ve been waiting for that winter coat to go on sale, or you need a new laptop and you’ve been watching the price for weeks, Black Friday can be excellent stewardship. Saving money on something you’ve planned for and actually need is wise.

The challenge is learning how to stop impulse buying when every psychological trigger is designed to make you spend. Here are four specific practices that will help you shop with intention instead of impulsively.

Practice #1

Create an Intentional Shopping List

Before Black Friday even arrives, make a list of what you actually need or have been planning to purchase. Write it down. Be specific.

Give yourself permission to look ONLY for those things. Maybe it’s items on your Christmas shopping list, which is fine, but write them down before you start shopping.

This isn’t about missing out on deals. It’s about protecting yourself from the five other things you don’t need that will show up while you’re searching for the one thing you do.

When something pops up that’s not on your list, ask yourself one simple question: “Would I buy this if it weren’t on sale?” If the answer is no, keep scrolling.

This single practice can save you hundreds of dollars and hours of regret. It’s the foundation for learning how to stop impulse buying because it gives you a clear boundary before you ever open a shopping app.

Practice #2

Use the 24-Hour Decision Delay

Here’s a rule that has transformed shopping habits for thousands of people: before you buy anything that’s not on your intentional list, wait 24 hours.

Not 24 minutes while you keep scrolling. Actually close the app. Walk away from your phone. Put it in another room if necessary. Come back the next day and ask yourself: do I still want this, or was I just caught up in the urgency of the moment?

You’ll be amazed how many things lose their appeal when you’re not staring at a screen with a flashing countdown timer creating artificial scarcity.

If the deal is truly worth it, it’ll either still be there tomorrow, or something similar will come along. If you miss it, you probably didn’t need it anyway. Retailers run sales throughout November and December. Black Friday is just the most aggressive marketing push.

Practice #3

Set Firm Time Boundaries for Deal Hunting

Decide ahead of time how much time you’ll spend shopping online this week. Pre-decide before the moment arrives.

Maybe it’s one hour on Black Friday morning while you’re having coffee. Maybe it’s 30 minutes on Cyber Monday during lunch. Whatever you choose, set a timer on your phone.

When the timer goes off, close the apps. Log out of the websites. Walk away.

That deal that requires you to sacrifice your peace, your presence with family, or your sleep because you’re scrolling impulsively hunting for bargains isn’t actually a deal. It’s a distraction, and it might even be disguised as stewardship.

The truth is that good deals happen year-round. Prices fluctuate constantly. You’re not actually missing out by logging off. You’re choosing something more valuable than a discount.

Practice #4

Practice a Sunday Screen Sabbath

The first Sunday of Advent falls two days after Black Friday and one day before Cyber Monday. Right in the middle of the shopping frenzy.

What if you made that day completely screen-free from ALL shopping? Not forever. Just on Sunday.

Use that day to reset. Go to church. Light your Advent candle. Read Scripture. Bake cookies with your kids. Play a board game. Take a walk in your neighborhood and notice the Christmas lights going up.

Let that one day become your anchor point in the chaos. A reminder that you don’t have to be constantly hunting, comparing, or consuming.

Let it be a day to breathe, to reflect, and to remember what this season is actually about.

Your Challenge for This Black Friday Week

As we enter this season that ushers in Christmas, choose to be intentional. Pick one morning. Just one. Keep your phone in another room until lunch. Don’t check the deals, or open the apps. Don’t scroll.

Notice how you feel. Notice the difference between a morning anchored in presence — with yourself, with God, with family, versus a morning pulled in a hundred digital directions.

I promise you’re not missing out. You’re opting into something better.

Choosing Peace Over Purchases

The world will tell you that you need to act fast, buy now, don’t miss this deal.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Not more stuff. Rest.

Not a better deal. Peace.

This season, choose the better gift. The one that can’t be shipped, tracked, or returned. Choose Jesus. Receive the gift of his presence. His invitation to slow down, to wait, to wonder. Experience this Advent season with him instead of rushing past him to get to the next thing on your list.

This Christmas season, give yourself the gift of being fully present. The gift of focus. The gift of an undivided heart.

Remember your attention is sacred. Steward it like it matters eternally. Because it does.

Frequently Asked Questions About Black Friday Impulse Buying

Why is impulse buying worse on Black Friday?

Black Friday creates the perfect storm for impulse buying through three psychological triggers: scarcity (“only 2 left”), urgency (countdown timers), and social proof (“1,000 people bought this today”). Research shows a staggering number of consumers use their smartphones to shop during Black Friday, and mobile devices make impulse buying even easier because you can purchase with just a few taps, often without fully processing the decision.

How do I stop impulse buying when everything seems like a good deal?

The key is distinguishing between a good deal and a good deal on something you actually need. Before Black Friday, create a specific shopping list and commit to only purchasing items on that list. For anything else, implement a 24-hour waiting period. If you still want the item the next day without the pressure of countdown timers and marketing urgency, it might be worth purchasing. Most items you skip won’t be missed.

Is it wrong for Christians to shop on Black Friday?

Shopping on Black Friday isn’t inherently wrong. The issue becomes problematic when shopping turns into idolatry, when the pursuit of deals takes precedence over peace, or when impulsive spending leads to financial stress and debt. If you can shop with intentionality, stick to a budget, and maintain proper priorities, Black Friday can be an opportunity for wise stewardship rather than mindless consumption.

What’s the connection between Black Friday impulse buying and my phone?

Mobile devices accounted for 69% of all Black Friday purchases in 2024, making your phone the most effective shopping tool retailers have ever created. Phones enable instant purchasing without the natural friction of traditional shopping. Retailers use personalized ads, push notifications, and app-exclusive deals to keep you scrolling and buying. Your phone’s convenience removes the pause that might help you reconsider an impulse purchase.

Resources to Help You Stop Impulse Buying This Black Friday

🔲 Get Brick: A Digital Wellness Device to Help You Overcome Digital Distraction. You just tap your iPhone to it, and it activates a custom focus mode you’ve already designed. Tempting apps? Blocked. Helpful ones? Still accessible. Want to learn more or try Brick yourself? Get 10% off with my link.

Pro tip: Black Friday is a perfect day to put your phone on grayscale and lessen the visual appeal of shopping. Check out my free Guide to Grayscale with step-by-step screenshots.

If you’re looking for more practical tools to reduce screen time and reclaim your focus coming into this season, take my free Screen Time Personality Quiz. It’s free, fun, and insightful. You don’t need to give me your email to get your results, I give them to you right away!You can also sign up for my 3-Day Digital Peace Plan that provides simple steps for a digital declutter, teaches you how to set basic boundaries for greater freedom, and offers ideas for a technology timeout so you can step away from screens and enjoy all this season has to offer.