The nice thing about recognizing that my impulses can only lead to extravagant impulse buys (like the $1,500 I nearly spent on a new laptop last week), is that I actually have cash on hand when something significant occurs, like yesterday’s $900 bill for work on my car (tires, 60,000-mile tuneup, various belts, differentials and filers).
The added bonus of putting $900 into the Element of Style is that it kills the big impulse buy of getting myself a new car.