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Article -
Holiday Spending
The holidays
can be wonderful times, but sometimes holiday spending can
bring on a hangover come January. It is important to keep
spending in check during this season. The tips listed above
and in this article can assist you in watching your pennies.
Watch out
for fake bargains
Do your research so that you know how much items should
cost. If one day you see an item for $2.50 and you think it
is too much, don't fall for the signage the next day that
reads "2 for $5.00". What seem like deals, may not really
be such a great deal for you. As they say, buyer beware.
Leave the
Kids at Home
Studies show that consumers who shop with kids buy 40% more
items when shopping with kids, then when shopping alone.
This can be the result of negotiations such as, "I'll do my
chores without complaining from now on if you buy me that
video game"; to threats (screaming, crying, or having a
tantrum in the middle of the store); to sneaking items they
want to purchase into the cart. When you get to the cash
register, you may not want to come across as cheap or mean
or be embarrassed by scene.
Avoid Carts
On average, we
tend to buy 30% more items when we use a shopping cart. And
the larger the cart, the more likely we are to buy items we
may not need. Some reasons behind this are; we become self
conscious with only a few items in the cart. What will
others think? What will other comment? We don't want to be
talked about.
Also, the
levels of dopamine in our brain increases and we begin
pulling items off the shelf to fill the cart. Dopamine is
the most addictive chemical our brain produces. It increases
in anticipation of any kind of reward, and that includes
food and clothing.
Don't Sniff
Many grocery stores have put in bakeries, rotisserie-chicken
grills, and salad bars near the entrance, because the smell
of food entices us to buy. The smell of fresh baked bread
can evoke powerful feelings of comfort. Our gut response is
to buy and we are hard pressed to resist. So go to the
store on a full stomach and don't smell the wonderful
smells.
Bottom line,
you can't go wrong if you go shopping by yourself after a
wonderful meal, pay close attention to your prepared
shopping list and budget, and use a small basket with
handles to carry your items.
For more
information how we buy the way we do, pick up "Buyology:
Truth and Lies About Why We Buy," by Martin Lindstrom.
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