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Proper Spending > Buying and Spending Habits > Taking the Impulse Out (1)
The following guidelines will help you limit purchasing
temptation:
- Before shopping, look through sales flyers to determine
which stores will offer necessity goods for the cheapest price. If necessary,
shop at more than one store to take advantage of the best possible prices.
- Create a target list before your shop. Try to limit your
list to necessity items.
- Set a pre-determined spending limit for each shopping trip.
Determine how much you can spend based on your Proper Spending.
- Don't be lured by sales on discretionary items or store
credit cards that offer percentage discounts on purchases. Store card
solicitations are enticing and they make it very easy to spend impulsively.
Often, the discount that store cards provide is overcome by the high interest
that you will pay on the purchases that you make.
- Avoid face-to-face sample counters. They encourage us to use
our senses to look, feel, smell, taste, and hear which often contributes to
irrational spending behavior. Sales representatives are often very good at
using guilt or pressure to lure consumers into making purchases.
- Leave your credit cards and checkbook at home.
- Replace credit cards with a debit card
- Don't just shop to shop. Have a target list and abide buy
it. Window- shopping is very tempting but dangerous. Try to avoid shopping as a
form of entertainment.
- If you use credit cards, wrap them in a dollar so when you
go to use them, you are reminded about the “true” value of money.
- If there is an urge to buy an item that is not a
necessity, walk away. Sleep on it. If it means that much to you, it will be
worth going back for the next day. Chances are you won't go back for it.
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