I love to shop, and I hate to admit it, but there are times when I spend money when I shouldn’t. There are even times I find myself buying something and arguing with myself at the checkout because I know I shouldn’t be spending the money, yet I go ahead and do it anyway!
Why do we do such things? I’ve found out, to have some certain triggers that cause me to overspend, and if I am conscious of them and try to avoid them, it helps me spend less money.
Emotional spending.
This is a big one. Shopping can act like a pick-me-up or a calm-me-down. If I go shopping, even if it is just grocery shopping, when I am feeling depressed or anxious, I tend to over spend. Knowing this can help you put on the brakes rather than spending blindly.
Physical sensations.
You probably know it is not a good idea to go to grocery shopping when you are hungry. Everything looks good and you tend to put more in your cart when you are hungry. You’ll spend a lot more than you would if you grocery shop on a full stomach. Other physical sensations come into play also. If you are at the mall and tired physically, you may buy things just to hurry the process along and not use good judgment.
People and places.
There are certain stores, I can’t control myself in whether I intend to buy anything there or not. If I am at the end of my budget, I just stay out of those stores. Likewise, there are certain people who goad me into making purchases, I otherwise wouldn’t. It might not be possible to always avoid them, so I try to keep my defenses up when I go shopping with them.
I wasn’t very good at winning the war not to overspend until I took a hard look at what was setting off my triggers. If you spend more money than you know you should, it might help if you do the same. The money you save can be better spent on a more worthwhile purchase or on a relaxing vacation.
No related posts.
