5 Ways to Limit Impulsive Buying

Being that I worked in a grocery store for 7 years, I know quite a bit about impulsive purchases. In fact, I helped (sadly to say) push certain products by placing them in a certain fashion. Through said experience, I tend to know some of the best ways to counter the impulsive nature of buying things that are unnecessary.

The following is a 5 point list to counter the need to buy something shoved in your face…

Don’t Bring the Kids. You wouldn’t believe (or maybe you parents would) how much more junk parents buy for their kids that is completely impulsive. Working as a checker at a grocery store, I quickly learned that most of the time kids were with their parents, the parents would buy something else within 10 feet of the check stand.
Bring Exact Cash. I like to use my debit card because I am able to track every penny better, but holding and letting go of cash is much tougher for me personally. So, if I am going through a tough time budgeting properly, I will bring the allotted amount of cash to the place of business and only allow that to be used.
Ignore Salesman. If you are at a department store and someone asks if you need help, try to ignore their push as much as possible. Sure, if you know nothing about laptops, get their advice, but even then I suggest doing your research pre-shop. Salesman could care less what you want. It’s all about what their quota or commission is. IGNORE THEM.
Create a Impulse Piggy Bank. Make life easy on yourself. If you love to buy the fitness or gossip magazines at the newsstand, then buy a gift card from the store you purchase it for $10 and only allow that to be used for impulsive shopping. You will start to realize what of those impulsive shopping things you really want.
If a Celebrity is Pushing it, Pull Back. In Michael Pollan’s new book Food Rules, he discusses the general notion that if some type of celebrity or popular figure is pushing a food product, than it probably isn’t healthy. How often do you see Paris Hilton promoting apples or Lindsay Lohan wearing affordable clothes. There’s a tendency to be highly influenced by the promotion of products. So, if it isn’t being promoted, you will probably buy the cheaper and more appropriately priced item.

David Damron
The Minimalist Path

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 10:57 am and is filed under minimalism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “5 Ways to Limit Impulsive Buying”

February 3rd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Charley Forness says:

Good point about the kids, that one will starting hitting home for me soon. The wife and I agree that it’s best to keep the triplets out of the stores, but at some point, you figure, they have to get accustomed to what a Grocery store is. Just not sure when to do that.

- Charley
Charley Forness´s last blog ..The (Gentle) Art of Being Minimalist
February 4th, 2010 at 1:28 am
mums says:

“It’s all about what their quota or commission is. IGNORE THEM.\” Agree 100%.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:37 am
mums says:

“It’s all about what their quota or commission is. IGNORE THEM.”

Agree 100%.
February 4th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
admin says:

It’s a dilemma I see myself having to face when I have kids. I really don’t want my kids to see the inside of a restaurant or grocery store until they are teenagers. I would rather them see me in the kitchen or at a farmers market. Obviously, this would (will) be tough. Time will tell how I approach this…

David Damron
TMP
February 5th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Marie says:

I agree with everything but #1! Babysitters being scarce, my mother always took me with her. It was a learning experience involving colors and textures. I remember her singing songs & playing games, while I sat in the cart seat. As I got older, she taught me how to shop, why this item of produce was better than the other, why this product was more valuable, how to spot the best deals, and plan a budget. And yes, I do remember wanting items that weren’t on the list. I learned quickly that a tantrum would not yield results. The answer was no, end of discussion. I truly value the lessons learned and pass them on to my children and nieces.

Big tip for successful shopping: Never go to the store when you or your children are tired or hungry.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Amanda Pingel says:

Those of us who make a living working for minimum wage at a retail store, and occasionally try to pass the time by helping customers make an intelligent decision (instead of sitting at the cash register reading our books) might prefer that you be a little less general on the “salesmen are out to get you” comments.

“Ask whether the salespeople get paid on commission (or any kind of sales incentive)” — sure

“Ignore fear-based sales pitches like ‘what if you didn’t get the warranty and it broke next week’” — sure

“Ask yourself if this salesperson seems greasy and pushy to you” — sure

“Verify the salesperson’s statements with online research” — sure

“Ask the salesperson about the disadvantages of the model they’re pushing” — sure

But please remember that the person at the store may not be a lying dirtbag out to rip you off. Sometimes they’re someone trying to get by on not much money with a family or a stack of student loans. Sometimes they’re someone who really likes these products and actually knows a lot about them. It wouldn’t hurt you to treat them like people.
February 7th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Vita Reid says:

David,

A great post.

Vita Reid
Vita Reid´s last blog ..Books Away!