Squeezing the Life Out of Your Shopping Dollars
November 29, 2012 § Leave a comment
Retailers are in business to make money and they use smart techniques to help us spend more of our hard-earned cash. You have to be on your guard when you shop. Here are some tips to help you be a more wily shopper.
Displays– Store displays are the first luscious temptation. They are positioned in a place where you will be the most likely to see them. Then they are placed accompanied by the perfect additional items that pair so well with each other. Even if you are strong enough to resist their siren call, your shopping buddy may be wooed. Since peer pressure impacts our spending decisions perhaps when others buy things you also will say, ‘yes, please!’
Sales – Ah, the old ‘spending to save’ mantra. I know it well. Problem is, well, you know that spending more to save is not really saving, right? Er, because you are spending more. So, if you spend money when you hadn’t really planned to buy something, or you spend more than originally intended, you aren’t saving. For instance, a 10% discount earned if you spend $50, (and then pay sales tax, or shipping), the mere possibility of saving a small amount convinced you to spend beyond just buying one or two things at $20. You are jumping to a particular range of spending for a very insignificant deal. Think it through.
Flow– Like Disney Land, a place with no clocks and mazes directing a person’s every step, you are being directed through a shop or store. According to articles, most shoppers turn right. So, less useful, but lovely and tempting items, are on the right and along your way. The more necessary items? They are, as any hurried shopper will tell you, way in back on the left.
Little things – And speaking of items way in the back of the store, that’s where sales or clearance items will be found. The clearance area is purposely left darker or messier than the rest of the wide-aisled, well-lit store. This section of the shop is allowed to be less inviting so you feel less enthusiastic about staying in such a dingy place. And there are other ‘little things.’ There are the adorable chotchkies on end-caps and near the check-out register that luring you to spend just a little more on this small, not-so-very-expensive, but really perfect item!
Good company – If you shop with a buddy who helps you be wise, who tells you how you REALLY look in that shirt or coat, so as to dissuade you from a useless purchase, that is indeed a good friend. Imagine shopping with a friend who never met an item she didn’t think looked dreamy upon your lovely frame? One who is fond of saying, ‘But it’s on sale. Buy it!’ You can see that a wise friend is the is best choice in one’s shopping companion.
You are not exactly going to war when you shop. But you do have to be very alert. It’s YOUR hard-earned money so you should guard it like a pickpocket is lurking! (CR8674)
Finance with Chocolate Sauce 
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