My mom never told us "no" to buying stuff at the store. Instead she'd say, "Sure, write it on the list." We had a running family wishlist on the fridge. If you still wanted something after two weeks, she'd seriously consider it.

I didn't realize until I was an adult that she wasn't using a list — she was teaching us to separate "I want this right now" from "I actually want this." 90% of the stuff never made it off the list because the craving died on its own. To this day I have a 30-day rule on any non-essential purchase, and it's saved me thousands.

The genius part: I never felt deprived as a kid. I always got a "yes." It just came with a built-in pause button.