Virtually all of us are subject to bouts of the same disease. It assails us at different and unpredictable moments. Some of us are plagued by it the moment they aimlessly surf the Internet, others may lie in wait right on the street, and still others are swept up amidst the shelves of the supermarket.
The beginning of the disease may be different, but the result is always the same: we come to our senses already at home and with surprise look at the thing we just bought. The tendency to impulse buying is inherent in everyone, without exception, though in varying degrees. It is difficult to combat this disease, but it is possible. Here are techniques that will help develop an immunity to unnecessary shopping.
1. Identify your weaknesses.
First of all, you should identify weaknesses in your defense. Marketers have long identified and actively use special psychological tricks that can catch almost any unprepared buyer. Here they are:
- Color. Stores specifically highlight with bright colors the products they want to shove at you. Be especially careful with red or orange, as these colors subconsciously push you to take action, which is to buy.
- Layout tricks. Every shelf has winning spots. Usually, these spots are not those items that are of excellent quality or low price, but those that bring in the maximum profit for the retail organization.
- Tactile Contact. A favorite trick of street vendors, who first try to give you in the hands of the imposed thing. Psychologically, if we hold an item in our hands, we are already ready to buy it.
- Smells and sounds. Specially selected music can make you feel relaxed. And delicious smells from different sides make you pick up a cart full of groceries, even if you do not need them.
2. Make a list of your items.
Very often we buy unnecessary things simply because we don't even know what we actually own. The anecdotes about fashionistas who have absolutely nothing to wear and nowhere to put things are absolutely true. Once you have a complete list of possessions you own, the urge to buy new ones will be greatly reduced. Try to divide all of your belongings into several categories:
- Necessities. These are the most necessary things that you use daily and cannot do without.
- Sometimes essentials. Things you use occasionally.
- Stuff you need, but don't need. In this category could be included those things that you can do without, but that give you pleasure.
- Junk. You do not remember why you bought these things and when you last used them. They're just taking up space.
Three simple questions to ask yourself every time you have doubts will help you work through this list.Here they are:
- When was the last time I used this?
- When will I use it again?
- Does this thing bring me joy?
3. estimate the value of your junk.
Once you've divided your possessions into several categories, you'll immediately want to get rid of the junk. Wait, don't rush, you need to do a little therapeutic procedure first.
Take and scrupulously calculate the total value of the extra stuff. If it was a gift, put a dash; if the price has changed significantly since purchase, put the amount you paid at the time of purchase. I can assure you that the final figure will surprise you. Take a farewell picture of your junk, write the amount it cost on top, and say goodbye to it forever. And put the picture in your wallet, somewhere close to money and credit cards.
4. Think of all the intangible things that make you happy.
Now it's time to make another list. This time, try to remember and write down all those things that make you happy but don't cost a dime. Think of the best moments of your life, dear people, friends, achievements, plans for the future. After thinking carefully, you will agree with the statement that the best things in life are completely free. So is it worth spending your money on things that don't bring real happiness and will end up going in the trash anyway?
5. Spend some time away from your ordinary life.
A very effective way to combat your own consumerism is to temporarily remove yourself from the reality that surrounds you. Try to get away on a tourist trip, in the village to your grandmother, on a long business trip. It is desirable that at this time you were away from the media and electronic gadgets. This will help you escape from the usual routine, which spurs you to buy something all the time. The new atmosphere will give you the opportunity to make a significant reassessment of your values.
6. Develop your own criteria for evaluating need.
The main purpose of advertising is to convince us of the absolute necessity to buy things that one or two minutes ago we didn't even know existed. And very often it succeeds.
In order not to go every time on the account of advertising, develop your own criteria for the necessity of a particular object in your life. To do this, ask yourself a few simple questions every time:
- Is this a planned purchase?
- What happens if I buy it? What if I don't?
- Won't it soon find its way onto the junk list?
- Where will I put it? How much will it cost to keep and maintain?
- How many days of my life did I spend to earn this item?
- Why am I really making this purchase?
7. Learn to pause.
The customer who is prone to impulse buying is the most desirable to the trade. He is the one for whom all those many promotions, sales, and happy hours are arranged, when the prices of goods are briefly reduced. A rushed, excited customer won't take long to price, ask about quality or features.
Your job is to break that plan and learn to always pause before buying. And the more expensive the item, the longer that pause should be. You can even take this rule literally and work out for yourself a numerical conversion factor for the time in which you will acquire the thing you want. During this time you will be able to cool down, calm down, and make sure that the purchase really meets those criteria of necessity that we talked about a little bit above.
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