10 Tricks To Help You Spend Less While Shopping

We’ve all been in this situation before: We go to the mall to buy one specific thing, and we end up buying ten more items that we don’t need. It’s quite easy to see that a shopping mall is a trap that we keep falling for over and over again.

Fortunately, there are certain ways that we can control ourselves from impulsive buying. Here are ten tricks to help you shop less.

1. Wear high-heeled shoes when you shop

High-heeled shoes may be sexy, but they are certainly not the most comfortable. If you wear a pair of this while shopping, you will be too tired to tour around the mall and would go straight to the designated area of the item that you need to buy.

2. Use new bills

A study has found that it’s easier for people to spend old wilted, dirty, old bills than crisp new cash.

3. Limit the number of stores you go to

As hard as it can be, but making a plan ahead before going to the mall can definitely save you a lot of cash.

4. Don’t make friends with the sales staff

It’s so hard to decline a friendly staff’s offer. Sometimes you even buy all the colors of the shirt just because he/she was too nice to say no to.

5. Leave your credit cards at home

If you ran out of cash, then that’s the end of your shopping spree.

6. Don’t go crazy hunting for bargains

Sometimes you forget to realize that you don’t really need or want these bargains, you just purchase them because they’re on sale.

7. Make yourself walk away

If you found something you like but don’t really need. Give yourself at least a day to think about it.

8. Separate your savings

Claudia Hammond, the author of Mind over Money, said:

“You need to think of any money you can save as special and untouchable.”

9. Think of prices in hours or number of uses

Think about how much time you’d work for the item that you want to purchase then decide if it’s worth it or not.

10. Reward yourself

Carrie Rattle, MBA, CDFA(R), aka the Master Money Coach, said:

“Just like denying yourself your favorite dessert while dieting, it ultimately backfires, and your emotional mind will rebel.”