26 Fun Impulse Buys to Throw In Your Cart While Shopping For Practical Stuff

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1.A Dwight Shrute Funko Pop! figure that’ll nod approvingly at all your no-nonsense desk accessories.

Get it from Amazon for $10 (or get Michael, Jim, or Pam).

2.A pack of summery bookmarks that work a lot better than the long receipts you get from less exciting purchases.

Get a pack of 60 from Amazon for $7.99.

3.A 19-piece kitchen utensil set featuring an emoji timer — folks, the impulse buy is baked right into the practical buy!

The set comes with a 10-piece measuring spoon/cup set, two spatulas, a whisk, two tongs, and three strainers. Oh yes, and that emoji timer I mentioned.

Get it from BuzzFeed’s Tasty collection exclusively on Walmart for $28.81.

4.A Burn Book magnet set to throw in the cart along with all your dorm essentials so you can have a constant reminder why you shouldn’t miss high school.

It comes with 10 magnets and a book.

Get it from Urban Outfitters for $9.95.

5.Toucan peel and stick wallpaper because why shouldn’t your home feel fun and tropical? I mean, something has to balance out all the boring adult furniture you just got, right?

Get it from Wayfair for $53.99+ (available in three sizes).

6.A fancy shmancy gold cheetah lamp that’ll look very nice on top of the new, practical dresser you bought. Consider it your trophy for being such a smart shopper.

Get it from Target for $14.99.

7.A mini cast iron pan way more fun than a regular sized pan because everyone knows size is inversely related to how fun something is.

Promising review: “Perfect for egg muffin sandwiches; it’s the right size and height after cooking compared to the ‘Mc’ brand. It is the best I have found after many years of trying. If you have ever wanted to make your own egg muffin at home, this pan is the one to use.” —Stephen J. Panasik

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

8.Speaking of miniatures, a teeny-tiny version of one of the toys you grew up with. The smaller the funner, I always say.


Just some of the mini toys you could buy: Barbie, GI Joe, Etch a Sketch, Hot Wheels, Fisher Price Little People, Lite Brite, Magic 8 Ball, and a Pez Dispenser with real Pez.

Get it from Amazon for $4.99+ (available in 29 toys).

9.A boozy necklace that’ll pair well with all those wine glasses you’re buying.

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

10.Hello Kitty pasta to make dinner time a lot more fun than your usual grocery store trip.

Get it from World Market for $5.99.

11.Avocado Smash — a fast-paced game to enjoy when running errands (buying toothpaste and soap online) has got you in the ~pits~.

You need at least two players to play but there is no limit to the amount of players. Whoever is most obsessed with avocados goes first. You start by putting down cards and saying what number turn it is. Once you hit 15, start over. If a player puts down a number card and it matches the number they say out loud, everyone needs to place their hands in the middle. Last person to put their hand down has to take up all the cards. There are also guacamole, smash, and reverse cards to keep things interesting. The first person to get rid of all their cards wins.

Promising review: “I bought this for my granddaughter. My granddaughters love to sit down and play board games every weekend and have a ball doing it. But this is a game changer. 🙂 They got it out and were playing it in their room and I heard screaming and laughing and fun noises, coming from the room. It is a fast paced, easy to learn, very competitive game they absolutely loved. I have never heard this reaction from any game they played, and everyone of them had fun doing it. No exceptions. I think it is a great way to bring your family together for good quality time, and this will keep them off the devices for a while and bring everyone a bit closer together for moments of fun and memories. Get it! :)” —Millie The Writer

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

12.A good vibes neon sign that’ll be the shining star in your otherwise drab cart.

Get it from Target for $24.99.

13.A box of Japanese snacks to mix up your snacking and your shopping cart.

It comes with 20 snacks. Don’t give this to anyone with a food allergy because ingredients are not listed!

Promising review: “I loved trying snacks from the other side of the world. Overall a decent variety and well worth it to try something new and fun. Shipped pretty fast, too! I might opt for a larger box next time I’m feeling adventurous, but for what you get, considering it traveled around the world, this was a good deal and I’m glad I tried it.” —eternalgreenknight

Get it from Amazon for $7.48.

14.A dino decal that reminds everyone that you are unstoppable when it comes to picking up everything in the impulse buy section.

Promising review: “Window cling came in a sturdy cardboard mailer and was really easy to install. Just clean the window, peel off the back, position the cling, and then use a credit card to firmly transfer the design to the glass. Looks great on my 4Runner and I love the message it conveys.” —Tekkiechikk

Get it from Amazon for $2.99.

15.A nice cat vase to scoop up while getting pretty much everything else you need from Walmart.

Get it from Walmart for $38.

16.A pair of antler hair pins that’ll be so much more fun to buy than your average run-of-the-mill hair clip.


Promising review: “I was sooo impressed when they came! They are super pretty, sturdy, and well-made. Definitely worth the price. Thinking about getting even more. The bag it came in is nice as well. And yes people it really is sandalwood, it has a light scent if it is warmed.” —Shadow Breaker

Get them from Amazon for $13.98.

17.An alcohol-inspired dog toy so your furry friend can get in on the impulse buying celebration.


Promising review: “I don’t always buy dog toys, but when I do, I choose something that will make me laugh. This toy is perfect for the most interesting dog in the world.” —redhead7211

Get it from Amazon for $9.95 (available in nine styles).

18.A cactus humidifier that arguably is part of your practical shopping.

Promising review: “I love this little humidifier so much. It’s super dry in our cube farm and having this plugged into my computer on the deck about a foot from me. It is awesome.” —Rebecca Martin

Get it from Amazon for $12.89 (available in five styles).

19.Floral earring jackets so inexpensive, it’s like, why not? You’ll hardly notice a dent in your weekly budget.

Promising review: “These earrings are beautiful! They were packaged well. They don’t feel heavy on the ears, and the metal flower is really thick so it feels durable. Love them. ??” —Kay

Get two pairs from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in six styles).

20.A DIY miniature bookstore that — you know what? — isn’t even an impulse buy. You’re investing in a hobby and (really) small business!


Promising review: “This model has been such an enjoyable build. As of now, I am not completely finished. Having put around 20 hours into it, I’d say I have another eight hours more to go. The pieces are all vibrantly pre-painted, with the exception of one large base piece. The glue and tweezers it comes with are perfect for the job. The cloth I had gotten for the couch was not large enough, but I improvised by using another color cloth (that also came with the kit) for the seat. The attention to detail in this little study is just first class. I even recognized books that I have read/purchased in the past within this model! I am not experienced at all with building wooden kits and I was still able to do this one perfectly with minimal struggle. I will certainly be buying more Robotime models in the near future, the greenhouse one is next :)!” —B.R.J.G.

Get it from Amazon for $29.74 (also available in an art studio or greenhouse).

21.A pack of squishy little friends that will brighten your day, unlike all those plastic hangers you had to buy.

Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $9.99 (also available in a pack of five bigger ones).

22.A whopping 58 sheets of puffy stickers to jazz up all the boring stuff you needed.

Get 58 sheets (1,800+ stickers) from Amazon for $8.99.

23.A screaming goat you can activate whenever the hardships of being an adult who has to buy their own toilet paper become too much to bear.

Get it from Amazon for $8.89.

24.A pack of cute critter pens with clicky tails and fine points to make writing in your new agenda at least sorta fun.

I’m talking .5 mm tips so you can write super small!

Get four from Amazon for $10.99.

25.A coloring book dedicated to farting animals, aka the perfect distraction from thinking about how expensive paper towels have gotten.

Get it from Amazon for $5.99.

26.Cactus laundry balls that’ll go nicely with that order of detergent and fabric softener.

Note: These are a darker green IRL.

Promising review: “I don’t know what kind of sorcery this is, but these things work. It used to take three cycles to dry my comforter and bed sheets. I’m one of those set-it-and-forget-it people, so I’d always forget to turn the dryer back on for round two and three, which meant that at midnight, when my husband and I were about to pass out from exhaustion, I’d remember the sheets and comforter were still in the dryer, undoubtedly damp because I didn’t run them through the dryer another two times. So I finally bought these puppies and as usual, I dried the comforter and bed sheets once, and forgot to check on them. That night, my husband asked where our sheets were since they weren’t on the bed at bed time. Then he groaned, and asked if I remembered to really dry them. So I checked the dryer and lo and behold, they were dry! I have actually remembered to check the dryer once after drying the bed sheets and they were dry as soon as the first cycle was over. So, it’s a miracle. These things work. TL,DR: I’m bad at laundry; these make me good.” —Gabby

Get two from Amazon for $9.50.

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