The “CD” Method Is the Only Thing That’s Helped Me Curb My Spending (I Saved $600 in a Month!)

I love to shop online, but I don’t love getting the credit card bill that reminds me of my passion for shopping. So lately I’ve been making an effort to spend less. To stick to my budget, I’ve unsubscribed from all promotional emails, and I’ve texted “stop” to those retailers who try to reach me by phone. Still, it hasn’t stopped me from browsing retail sites or even downloading the store app to my phone.

Thankfully I’ve discovered a little trick that keeps me from hitting the purchase button so often (or at all). I call it the checkout day method.

The checkout day method, or the CD method for short, means that I choose one day per week to decide whether to buy the thing I’ve left in my online shopping cart.

I first came up with this idea when I started opting in to Amazon Day, a feature that allows you to have all of your packages delivered on the same day of the week, which cuts down on the number of boxes and delivery trucks each order takes. And because I have a Prime membership, I also receive digital credits when I choose this carbon footprint-reducing option. 

My Amazon Day is Tuesday, which I chose because our recycling gets picked up on Wednesday mornings. That means Tuesday night, my husband and I bring the garbage and recycling to the curb. It’s a win-win: I get the stuff I want/need, and I get the empty boxes out of my house the same day.

It’s also reinforced something I’ve learned in my years of shopping online. Sometimes just adding something to an online shopping cart is the dopamine hit I need — even if I never actually make the purchase. So these days, when I shop online — whether it’s Amazon, or another retail site I frequent — I add things to my cart, but I wait to check out until a certain day when I review it and see what (if anything) is truly worth keeping. 

Not all companies will allow you to keep items in your cart for days on end, but for those that do, I’ve started applying the “checkout day” strategy I’ve used for Amazon. And it’s saved me up to $600 in the past month — here’s a breakdown of exactly how.

Recently, I was looking for a new dress to wear to a baby shower I have coming up, and found one on the Macy’s website for $150. I wasn’t too keen on the price, but I loved the dress so I put it in my cart and tried to manifest a sale. But after a week or so of “stalking” my cart to see if it ever went on sale — which it didn’t — I found a dress in my closet that would be perfect for the shower. 

Savings: $150 + tax

I have the Rue La La app on my phone, and typically fill up my shopping cart with things I like (knowing full well that unless I check out soon, someone else will grab it before me). I accumulated quite a shopping cart just last week, with $350 in designer shirts and blazers. But I waited 24 hours after I added everything, after which I whittled down the cart to one short-sleeve top and a blazer that was miraculously knocked down even further. The new total? $50 plus tax. 

Strangely enough, the box was delivered a few days ago, and I still haven’t opened it. That just goes to show that I didn’t really need new clothes, and I wasn’t as excited about receiving them as I was about putting it in my cart. I do plan on opening the box, but I’m also wondering if I should just send it back — and delete the app once and for all.

Savings: At least $300 (although it might be the full $350 if I return the items)

I recently got a Costco membership, and I have the app on my phone. There are a few things in my Costco cart now, including some household essentials like kitchen garbage bags, Brita water filters, protein bars, and some Neutrogena makeup wipes that are perfect for travel.

Still, I waited a few days before checking out. When I returned to my cart, I removed the Brita filters — the price was a great deal, but I didn’t really need to buy 10. And the Neutrogena wipes? I don’t have any travel plans right now, and when I’m at home a face cloth and cleanser will do. So I added another pack of protein bars to reach the minimum price point for free delivery … and I still haven’t checked out yet. I need these items, but I don’t need them right now.

Savings: $100 + tax

Total savings: $550 (possibly $600) + tax

The point of having a checkout day is not to have a shopping spree and clear out multiple digital carts all in one day. Rather, it’s to hold off on potential impulse buys and give yourself some time to distinguish between needs and wants.

I’m amazed by what I saved this month just by taking a breather from hitting the “buy” button. Now, clicking “remove” from my cart is giving me an even bigger rush than adding them to the cart. I’m feeling good about the progress I’ve made so far, and my wallet is feeling even better.