“Shop til you drop” attitude is no bargain

You may love to shop and consider yourself a born shopper. But more often than not you find yourself with unwanted or unneeded purchases and are painfully aware you overspent.

• Do you have problems going into a large discount store to purchase one or two items and instead coming out with a full basket?

• Are you on the mailing list for a lot of specialty catalogs, probably due to the fact that you have ordered many items from these or similar catalogs in the past?

• Do you find yourself shopping sales with the intention of just looking, but instead buying things you never intended?

• Do you purchase more things from home shopping shows than you need or really want?

• When you go to the grocery store to buy just a few items, do you usually end up with foods you rarely use, brands you aren’t familiar with, or even things you or your family don’t even like?

• Do you shift the blame and say that 800 numbers and credit cards make it too easy?

If you answered yes to several of the above, you may have a problem with sales resistance and may indeed be an impulse buyer- one who buys for the exhilaration of shopping and not just for necessity. If you are, you realize that it can wreak havoc on a family budget and result in unnecessary debt.

Impulse buyers are prone to making self-statements like:

• This is a once in a lifetime deal- and I had better not pass it p.

• They are practically giving things away- I don’t want to miss that.

• I know the difference between over-spending and being a shrewd bargain hunter- I am the bargainer.

• I love to watch the shopper bargains or just browse through a stack of catalogs- it’s my hobby.

Here are some practices to help you curb impulse buying.

• Try this exercise. When the next catalog arrives, check the items that you think you want. Then put the catalog and the order blank in a drawer or box. During the next several weeks, review it. Ponder the need or even want for each item. Many people find that their original impulse to purchase will fade in a short time. Cross off each item that no longer strikes your fancy. You may eliminate several or all of your impulses.

• Prepare for your next shopping expedition. Make a list of the items you intend to buy at the big outlet or discount store. Stick to that list. Don’t wander around the aisles and browse through other merchandise. Use a calculator to add the amount of your purchases. Feel the satisfaction of seeing a lower total. If that doesn’t work, take that same list to a non-discount, non-outlet store. Although you may end up paying more for the items on that list, you will have kept your total bill down by buying only what you need.

• If buying from TV is irresistible, don’t watch those shows. Write and get your name off mail order catalogs you don’t need.

• When all else fails, get yourself a buddy shopper. A no-nonsense buyer who won’t mind telling you, “You don’t need that.”

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright © 1994