The "I'll Buy It If" Challenge Is An Easy Way To Save Money

It’s tough to stick to a budget, especially when you’re shopping with someone else. It’s easy to egg each other on to buy things you want but don’t necessarily need — like a soup can-shaped stool — and even easier to get caught up in the heat of the moment. Before you know it, you’ve racked up a giant bill and a car full of stuff.

One way to slow down and shop with more intention is with the “I’ll buy it if” challenge that’s viral on TikTok. It goes like this: If you see something you like in a store, you can say “I’ll buy it if it’s under $15” — or whatever your personal price cap might be — and then you check the price tag. If the item is under that amount, you can get it. If it’s over that amount, you have to put it back on the shelf.

In a viral TikTok, creator @luwhatwear tried the trend, first holding up two cute bow-covered glasses. “I’ll buy these if they’re under $6,” she said in the clip. Turns out the pair totaled to $9, so she didn’t get them. She also looked at coats, sweaters, candles, and slippers, all things she really wanted. But because of the way she priced everything, she ultimately only got the candles.

Here, an expert explains why this trick works.

Benefits Of The “I’ll Buy It If” Challenge

This trend works as a sort of reality check. Instead of falling in love with an item, looking at the price, and then deciding if it’s worth the money, you figure out how much it’s worth to you right away. If a candle seems like it should cost $10 but turns out to be $25, it makes it tougher to justify.

It can also turn a casual shopping trip into a fun challenge. “The gamification aspect is great and a total winning strategy,” says Bobbi Rebell, CFP, a certified financial planner and personal finance expert at CardRates. Not only is it fun to guess — and likely be totally shocked by — the price, it also helps you push back against marketing strategies.

“Instead of the retailer setting an ‘anchor’ price, which they may discount to fool you into thinking you are getting a deal, the buyer is now in control of setting the value and deciding if it fits into their budget, rather than letting the seller set the price expectation,” says Rebell.

In some ways, this shopping hack also forces you to remain present. You’ll hold each item, inspect it, and come up with a price, and in that moment, you’re also pausing just long enough to decide if something’s truly worth the money.

Of course, the “I’ll buy it if” trend is also an easy way to stick to a budget. “What’s great about this trend is that it creates spending guard rails,” says Rebell. “You know your budget, you know what price you can pay to stay in your budget, and so it is a clear up or down decision on whether it fits into your budget based on the ‘I will pay...’ prices. It's genius!”

This challenge is perfect if you’re trying to save money, if you tend to overshop, or if you love a deal and tend to buy things just because they’re marked 50% off. Try it the next time you shop with friends — or when perusing stores on your own — and chances are you’ll make it to the register with a lot less in your arms than usual.

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Bobbi Rebell, CFP, certified financial planner, personal finance expert at CardRates