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Avoid These 6 Shopping Snags

Shopping, once a task that was devoted to procuring necessities, has come to fill emotional needs, becoming entertainment, sport, and a form of self-expression.  Avoid the trappings today!


1. Shop Around.  Buying a lot in one store has the tendency to decrease your sensitivity to the pain of cost.  Think of it this way, you spend $200 somewhere, so you figure what's another $20?  Best to go to various stores for different purchases.


2. Don't Buy Into Bargains.  The thrill of a deal has been known to trigger the brain's pleasure-pain dynamic.  Sales, markdowns, two-for-ones, and outlet stores are all designed to hit our bargain-loving Achilles' heel. So are retail tactics we should be wise to, like buying an item for $29.99 because we tend to discount it to $20 instead of $30.


3. Use Cash.  Credit cards are like aspirin to the pain that paying for goods can cause the brain.  Unfortunately, credit is also a huge headache if it isn't dealt with responsibly. When you pay cash, you physically see your wallet getting thinner.  Credit cards are a much more abstract concept to grasp.  If spending is an issue, try only paying with cash to get a better handle on what items really cost you.


4. Bad Moods Are Costly.  Studies show that sadness can devalue one's sense of self.  The urge to pay more may be an attempt to elevate your own worth.


5.The Fall Of The Mall.  They've been blamed for killing America's main streets, stealing business away from mom-and-pop shops.  Now mall's may have to be put on the endangered species list, filing for bankruptcy.  With so many now depending on these places to socialize, de-stress and even exercise what will we all do for more than shopping?  Experts suggest crafts like knitting or quilting, and you still end up with a new material good.


6. Ration Your Willpower.  Our ability to fight temptation weakens us, almost as if we are getting tired.  So, if you're using every available ounce of discipline at the food court because you're dieting you'll be less able to say no to a cute pair of shoes. 
 

Source: www.cnn.com/