IT’S good to see a little relaxation in the lockdown rules, but we’re still spending more than our fair share of time in front of the TV, scrolling phones or glued to laptops and those naughty marketing guys know that we need to satisfy our ‘spending gene’.

As many of us are managing on reduced income, it’s time to take control and not fall victim to impulse buy advertising.

1. Make a note of the time of day, week or month when we impulse buy and find something else to do.

2. Unsubscribe! Yes, unsubscribe to all of the retailer emails. We can always re-subscribe when finances improve.

3. Don’t watch TV advertisements, choose a different channel or make a cuppa during the intervals.

4. The same goes for radio.

5. On supermarket shopping, taking a list and stick to it cuts the cost and the calories.

6. Find something free to do with free time. Enter free competitions or maybe just a bit of gentle gardening will do the trick.

7. Write a blog. People blog about anything, it’s free and the successful ones make money.

8. Check out the many wonderful free concerts which are happening all over the internet.

9. Awarding no-spend rewards, for example a Skype call to a friend or relaxing in the garden with a good book, helps us to focus on our goals.

10. For anyone lucky enough to have a little spare cash at the end of the month, pop it into a separate account or jar, watch it grow and have a treat when things get back to normal.

Impulse buying, or ‘retail therapy’, doesn’t really work in the long run. Take control and give yourself a pat on the back for beating the boredom bug.