Finding a sale is something that can get your blood pumping and before you know it, the search is on and you’ve got to find something before it’s gone.
Physiologists have studied the mental manipulations sales use to trick our minds into spending more of our money on things we don’t need or even really want.
Clearance merchandise isn’t called an irresistible bargain for nothing. Discounts and the way the stores presents them tap into primal psychological impulses and PR people use five general tricks to do this.
January sales are usually clearance sales. Missing out on something is a fear that can cause consumers to have a knee jerk reaction. We tend to buy something at 80% off, even though we didn’t want the item to begin with. The solution is to make a list of items you want and then only buy those items, or one like it, when you see it on sale.
Competition is a fear motivator. This can heighten the a-fore mention fear of missing out. When battling through the crowd or watching a number tick down online, you can get caught up in the moment and then tend to grab things that you don’t really want, just to keep others from getting it first. The solution is to take a few calm moments to level off the excitement and then decide what it really is that you want and will use.
Grabbing an item that has been marked down is a huge rush. If you find a $400 pair of shoes for $80 you look at all the savings and forget what it is you’re spending. Prices don’t always measure quality and more importantly, style. The solution is to picture that the item is full price and then ask yourself if you’d still be excited about it.
Sales shift our focus from spending to saving and rather than look at what is going out of our wallets, we look at what the damage could have been. The quickest fix is to pay with cash, cards of any kind give you a buffer and put emphasis on what you’re getting rather than what you’re giving.
Take the time to do your research. Just because the item is on sale doesn’t mean it’s worth the price. Ask yourself what it is you need and what you’d be willing to spend on it. If you find it for a better price than go for it, but be careful because one store could have it on sale for a higher price than another one does regularly. Research shows that sale shoppers ultimately spend more than non-sale shoppers. They often purchase things that aren’t truly satisfying. Adding this to the rush you get from snagging a bargain and you can get yourself into a sticky situation. There’s no saying that you can’t find some great deals out there, just make sure you’re being smart about it.
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