Top Ten Shopping Tips

A lot of us need to be reminded how to shop smart. Many of you will know that I was a shopping champion. I used to shop ’til I dropped’ until it became a problem. I realized that shopping was not something I wanted to do. I made the change over the course of one year.

Although I no longer shop as much, I do know what makes a good shopping trip. Here are my top ten shopping tips. These tips will help you shop smart.

You don’t have to just drive your car towards your favorite shopping destination. This list contains savvy shopping tips that you can use to your advantage.

Make a list and shop.

This is my number 1 tip, and for good reason. People often overspend, buy unnecessary things or end up buying things they don’t want. It’s your hard-earned cash and time that you’re spending. It is, and it’s worth it. Before you go on your shopping spree, make sure to prepare. Take stock of what you have in your home, garage, and closets. Next, make a list about the gaps you have, as well as the needs that this item will fulfill. It is important to make sure that they are real needs and not just frivolous desires. Remember to bring your shopping list with you! It will not be useful if it is stuffed in your bag or in your pocket. It is a useful tool that you can use to ensure that you only purchase items that are on the list.

Establish a budget.

Yes, yes! The “b” word. Budget. This is crucial. This is important. Many people spend too much on items they don’t need, want or use. This is a bad way to shop. It is important to have a rough idea of how much you will spend on this trip. It is important to remember the shopping experience and feel good about it long after the receipt has expired. One way to achieve that is to limit your purchases to what you can afford. Stick to your budget! No matter what your budget is – $50, $5000 or $5000 – stop shopping when you reach that limit.

Cash is the best payment method

Research shows that magic plastic can make you pay 20 to 50% more when you shop, regardless of whether you use a debit or credit card. It’s like using Monopoly money or play money because of the magic plastic. It’s almost as if it isn’t real. These credit card fees can be very expensive. Once you’ve created a shopping list and established a budget, you can withdraw your cash in cash. You can then use that cash to pay for your shopping trip. Cash feels more real, and that’s why we want to bring you back to the shopping experience. So you can only purchase things you really need and will use. This will save you a lot of money and make impulse purchases less tempting.

You should set a time frame.

Do not wander aimlessly around shopping centres. Shopping is often done in a lull, and many people spend their afternoon shopping at their favorite mall. This is not a strategy that I endorse or recommend. This is not the best way to shop smart. You should set a time limit for your shopping, and then it’s time to go home. It is not worth your time to waste it. Once you have purchased everything you need, you can stop shopping and start looking for other things.

Choose the most convenient time for you.

If you shop when it is convenient for you, shopping can become a stressful and exhausting activity. Shopping at the peak hours of malls and stores (such as Saturday mornings or late nights) can cause shopping fatigue. This can make you irritable and cranky, which is not a good environment for smart shopping. Our physical environment has a direct impact on us. Congested shopping centers and other crowded environments can bring out the worst in people. Pick a time when you will be most positive and alert to shop. To avoid fatigue, make sure you have regular breaks and shop for shorter periods of time.

You can shop alone.

Many people feel that shopping partners can be more like accomplices in crime than shopping partners. Shopping partners can encourage us to make purchases we don’t need or want. They may also have their own motives (sometimes unconscious) for encouraging us to shop. They may feel a sense of competition or want to live in our shoes. No matter what is happening to the other person, they don’t have the responsibility to deal with the consequences of shopping. Only you can do that. You can go shopping with friends, but it must be a social activity and no purchase allowed. Window shop or grab a bite to eat with friends, but you shouldn’t purchase until you are able to go shopping on your feet.

Do not shop when you’re hungry, tired, lonely, bored, or upset.

These are just a few of the emotional triggers that can cause people to shop excessively and buy things they don’t need or want. These are the most common triggers that cause people to shop unconsciously, and thus not wisely. Don’t shop if you feel any of these emotions: you are hungry, tired, lonely, bored and upset. You can do something else until your emotions are more balanced.

Ask yourself “Where will I wear it?” Many people buy things impulsively without thinking about what they’ll do with them. We waste our hard-earned cash and precious time on items that don’t belong in our closets, homes, or lives. To cut down on impulse buying, imagine that you have the item you want to buy. Now, imagine yourself having the ‘thrill-of-the kill’. You have purchased the item and it is yours. Visualize it in your home/closet. Consider this: Are you still enthusiastic about it? Is the shine gone? Many of us don’t take the time to think about whether we actually need the item and end up taking things home that we won’t use. It’s a complete waste.

Remember, the salesperson is there to make a sale to you. No matter how pleasant or friendly a salesperson may be, the truth is that they are there to sell you. They may be concerned that you only walk out with the right items and products that will work for you. They want you to leave with something. They are there to sell you something or maintain a relationship that will keep you coming back. It’s their business. No matter how helpful and charming they may be, salespeople are not meant to be our friends. Although they may be friendly, their sole purpose is to sell us something. Today. This will ensure that you only purchase the items you actually need and use, not what a salesperson convinces you to.

Do not buy because it is on sale.

“Sale” is actually a four-letter word! It is often used in conjunction with the word “shoe” which may be responsible for more impulse buying than any other word. If it isn’t you, it doesn’t fit properly, it isn’t your style, or doesn’t fulfill a genuine need, a bargain is not one! It is a waste to spend $20 on clothes, shoes, make-up, DVDs, scented candles, a Batman clock, or any other item that you don’t wear or use. It’s easy to justify this by saying, “oh, it’s $20”, but $20 is a lot. It wouldn’t be right to throw $20 out the windows, so don’t spend your hard-earned cash on items that seem to be a bargain due to the sale price. Only purchase items on sale if they are on your wish list and within your budget.