According to a survey by creditcards.com, three out of four Americans claim that they have made impulse purchases. Essentially, this means that 75 percent of you lovely readers don’t think before you buy things that are usually unnecessary (seriously, did you really need that Donald Trump inspired toupee?). This has led to the creation of abhorrent products like the Shake Weight, the Booty Pop and for all of you meat lovers who want your mouth to feel and smell like grease, Mr. Bacon’s Bacon flavored toothpaste. This really has to stop.
One of the number one causes of impulse buying, according to the survey, is shopping while intoxicated. While it seems like a good idea to drunkenly invest in the decoration of your home through the purchase of flavored, lick-able wallpaper, I assure you, it’s not. This is not Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, and you will feel like an idiot tomorrow morning. It’s best to avoid going to stores or shopping online while you’re drunk. Drink some water and jovially reminisce on the unicycle you bought the last time you were drunk, but for the love of God, don’t buy anything else.
Creditcards.com reports that negative emotions like anger, sadness and even boredom can make buyers more likely to impulse buy. This is a lot harder to combat, but at some point you have to realize that buying a new wardrobe or glow-in-the-dark toilet paper will not raise your math grade, and it certainly won’t help fill your wallet. This seems like a no-brainer, but a lot of people buy stuff when they are stressed out about money. A flashy buy one get 20 percent off sign may make you stop in your tracks, but remember, you will save more money if you don’t buy anything at all than if you buy products on sale.
Positive emotions are also known to cause random shopping sprees. The excitement of a new paycheck might be enough to convince you to romance your girlfriend with a brand new pair of Picnic Pants, but trust me, she will not be impressed by a flappy piece of fabric hanging between your legs, and she definitely won’t want to use it as a table. At the end of the day, just don’t shop when you’re emotional, one way or another.
Impulse buying is more than buying random junk. Americans are known to buy clothes, food and even furniture that they don’t need solely on a whim. Though, nobody needs a stash of 20 packs of Ramen noodles in six different flavors or nine pairs of the same jeans in different shades of blue. While exaggerated, the point is still there. It’s irresponsible and only hurts you. The best thing you can do is learn to balance a budget, refrain from buying random “wants” rather than “needs” and don’t drink and shop.
