I’ve talked before about the “See not, want not” principle when it comes to your spouse and children and the expensive food or personal care items that you’ve purchased. Basically, if they don’t see it, they won’t be tempted to eat or use it. Sometimes we forget our own temptations though. Every trip we take to the store and every commercial we watch on tv tempts us to buy something that we probably don’t need. Just this week I bought 6 toy items at 75% off. 4 of them met a need for specific gifts and were good purchases, while 2 didn’t. I regret that I succumbed to the temptation to buy those 2 items that we didn’t really need.
There are several things we can do to curb these temptations:
- Don’t go shopping just for the sake of going shopping. If you go to Target (the store that tempts me the most) for a few groceries, don’t take a detour through the housewares section. Avoid unnecessary stops alltogether.
- Don’t watch commercials on TV or let your kids watch them. I like PBS for this very reason. We aren’t blasted with enticing commercials that make us think their toy or new fangled contraption are the best and we must have it today.
- When you find something you want to buy that isn’t on your list (you do shop with a list right?!?) ask yourself these questions before buying:
- Is the price per unit worth paying?
- If yes, then is it something that I need to have or will be buying in the future anyway?
- Can I use it all before it expires or goes bad?
- Do I already have something else at home that meets this same need?
- If it passes all those tests- ask yourself if buying this item will truly enhance your life?
Most of the time I find that items won’t pass the test.
- If you’re still torn about it, think about it as you shop with the intention to come back and get it if you still want it. Or plan to come back the next day. Chances are you’ll forget about it, or not want to make the trip back to get it. (which means you didn’t really need/want it)
In most cases I find that when I am watching commercials and leisure shopping more frequently I feel like I need more than I really do. I get along just fine without all the extra stuff that our consumer driven society presents to me on a daily basis. When I have a need and seek out a solution to meet that need without the assistance of advertising, I know that the need it justified and will really enhance my life.
What tips do you have to curb your buying temptations?
I love to shop 75-90% off, primarily for my operation christmas child shoeboxes. Thankfully I’ve found a place where my frugality and need meet. The less I pay, the more goodies I can get for children who have nothing. I do have some new ‘valentine’s’ to put on my car next year, but I’ll get hubby to organize a valentine’s box to be brought down in January so they don’t get forgotten.
Love it!
I love to shop 75-90% off, but I’ve found a place where my frugality, love of shopping and true need meet – Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. So while I buy unneeded things too often, I try to keep them all sized to fit in my boxes.