[Personal Journal] My impulse buying always happens in bed
🟣 Florencia Ornelas shares her shopping impulses, emotional triggers, and action plan for intentional spending from the Money Feelings Workbook
What happens when you actually sit with your shopping impulses?
Phone’s tucked away, no distractions.
Just you and a piece of paper, asking yourself why you’re feeling what you’re feeling, and put it all into words. I’m not just talking about listing what you’ve bought (though that’s helpful, too), but creating a full emotional map of your wants, fears, and habits behind those impulses.
That’s exactly what
, writer of apartamento 710, did when she filled out the Money Feelings guided reflection on shopping impulses. I invited her because I love how she bridges digital and analog in her art, and because her writing on consumption always makes me stop and think.But instead of just filling it out, she turned it into something way more personal. Thoughtful, surprising, and (painfully) relatable.
My favorite part? The sketch of her “impulse moment setting” in bed at 11:30 p.m. So accurate. So funny.
Florencia’s journal is a reminder that these reflections aren’t just about getting a reset on your finances (though that’s a pretty great outcome, too). They’re about understanding yourself to break old patterns and buy with more clarity because writing creates space between you and your thoughts, so you can see them more clearly.
Her journal is an invitation: read it, reflect on it, and maybe try it for yourself.
This is also an experiment on Money Feelings! Let me know what you think in the comments.
And a big thank you, Florencia 💜
Want to experience this for yourself?
It’s simple: grab a pen and paper, and start asking yourself the same questions and do the exercises I gave Florencia in the guided reflection. No big secret!
If you're a paid subscriber, you get access to the downloadable template, as well as more guided reflections, templates, and perks from your exclusive corner of Money Feelings:
🟪 The Reading List
👌 A piece by Florencia on her 'low spending year'
👌 A dopamine-fueled Money Feelings session that might change how you shop forever
👌 A piece showing that journaling is not wuhu and girly, traders also use this technique to improve their decision-making
👌 A piece by Florencia in which she shares her favorite journaling techniques
👌 A deep dive into your spending psychology in the company of American psychiatrist, addiction specialist, and author of Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke
👌 Florencia’s Money Feelings Questionnaire
👏 Well done for making it this far and spending time on your financial well-being.
If you enjoyed this piece, just let me know by clicking the heart 💜 below or the restack button (the recycle symbol that lets you share this session with your followers). I notice and appreciate every single one of them.
To join our next session, you can always sign up as a free subscriber, but a paid subscription gives you access to all the tools, a chance to unplug with off-screen exercises, and discounts for professional help… plus, it helps keep the lights on here!
See you in 2 weeks or sooner on Notes.
Pauline 💜
 | A guest post by
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Love the format! Really fun and relatable. Curbing impulse buying is so hard... especially when social media is involved!
Really loved going through the workbook :) I would love to keep the habit of dedicating time every month to do this exercise. Thank you for creating such a great tool, Pauline!