I love Amazon Prime a bit too much — but my one shopping rule has helped me save money

To cut back on overspending, I set an Amazon Prime shopping rule for myself: If my item can't be shipped in 24 hours, I won't buy it.

• I used to shop on Amazon a lot, but being impatient has saved me money.
• If my Amazon order doesn't say it can be shipped in 24 hours, I won't buy it anymore.
• By waiting, I limit my purchases and I usually realize I didn't need the item anyway. 

I've spent a lot of money and time on Amazon Prime.

Thanks to Instagram posts and TikTok videos, I'm constantly feeling influenced to buy — or at least consider buying — products from Amazon.

And I know it's not just me — Amazon is the second biggest retailer in the world, and three out of four Americans use Amazon Prime.

I usually add random things I don't really need, like overpriced throw pillows, butterfly-patterned cowboy boots, or a teeny-tiny Mandalorian Lego set to my cart.

But after contemplating the price and reading reviews, the top thing that keeps me from making a spontaneous purchase is actually how long it'll take to ship.

Only buying things that ship in 24 hours helps cut down my buyer's remorse

Since speed of delivery is one of the biggest factors consumers consider when placing an order, I decided to take it really seriously and make it my main one.

If Prime says an item will take more than 24 hours to ship, I don't buy it. After all, if it's not in my hands in a day, I'll probably forget I even wanted it … which means I definitely didn't need it in the first place.

My rule of thumb is if I can forget about the item in the time it takes to ship, it's not worth it. I like that this strategy lets me shop and get some instant gratification while also setting limits that help me cut down on unnecessary purchases I'll regret later.

This also stops me from filling up my cart every time I make a purchase

When I place an Amazon order, I often feel compelled to fill my cart, going from one unnecessary item to two or three.

Maybe it's a "Might as well!" attitude, or perhaps my moral compass feels a little less bad about the environmental impact of my purchase if more than one item ships in the same package.

But, again, with my new rule, if nothing in my cart will ship within one day, it all gets taken out. This cuts many of my unnecessary purchases because most things I consider buying have standard Prime two-day shipping.

I'm now more comfortable just ordering one thing if it's the only item I wanted that'll ship to me within 24 hours.

So if you also find yourself overspending on Amazon and stuffing your cart, setting some kind of boundary around your purchases — even if it's a small one like mine — could be a good place to start.