Does anyone else mentally justify purchases when they're trying to save?

[More4finance]

I'm currently trying to save more consistently, and I've realised I have a habit of talking myself into purchases that seemed completely reasonable at the time but weren't really necessary.

It made me wonder whether most budgeting apps are solving the wrong problem. They tell us where our money went afterwards, but they don't really help in the moment when you're deciding whether to press "Buy Now".

I've been experimenting with a really simple calculator that shows the "real cost" of a purchase in terms of your income and the financial goal you're working towards.

Before I spend more time on it, I'd really like some honest opinions.
Is this something you'd ever use before making a bigger purchase, or is it a problem you don't think needs solving?

If anyone is interested, I'm happy to share the prototype

I’m sure some people could find that helpful.

I wouldn’t use it because I’m quite skint and also inherently stingy so I hardly ever buy things. I buy things I need, not things I want (with the exception of some foods and drinks that I don’t technically ‘need’ but like).

My trouble is differentiating between want and need. I'm very good at convincing myself I need something so probably wouldn't use it either.

It sounds helpful. I also find it helpful to create wish lists on various online stores rather than just hitting “buy now”. I can think about it more and come
back to it later if needed.

What do you mean by 'real cost'?

I don’t think you need an app. You just decide what to save and it leaves your account on pay day. When you receive a promotion/ salary increase you increase your regular savings. You don’t miss what you have never had.

All the time, haha! Not sure I'd even benefit from an app like this, but chances are that I would because as the other poster said, I'm also good at justifying things I want as things I need but looking at an actual price and giving myself time to think wouldprobably help a bit. In fact, that's what I usually do, I just let myself think about whether I need this item and try to see how it would fit in my wardrobe or in my apartment, etc. If it's clothes, I think of whether I would be able to combine it with pieces I already have. If it's a furniture item, I open Interiorbox 3d and see if it would actually fit and how it all would look, etc. It stops me from impulsively buying stuff, but I'm still pretty good at justifying something I don't necessarily need.

I use the HALT method - I don’t buy anything when Hungry, Alone, Lonely or Tired, regardless of the purchase.