Just the tip… Of the week!!!
Please Click Next and Deduct $200
I consider myself to be one of the very few women on this planet that hates to shop (I imagine you GASPING in shock as we speak)… but it’s true. I can’t stand the crowds or lines, I get claustrophobic in malls, and trying on outfits seems like way too much work for me!
However, this game totally changes when it comes to online shopping. I always question why online shopping can be so much more impulsive than shopping in person. Maybe it’s because we don’t have to deal with screaming children and hordes of people like we would at the mall. Maybe it’s because online merchants have, more than ever, made return policies extremely consumer friendly. Maybe it’s because the thought of shopping while in pajamas sounds utterly delicious. Or maybe it’s because we do not look at online purchases as “real purchases.” We do not understand the ramifications that it has on our wallet. Shopping online is almost like shopping with Monopoly money - it simply does not feel real.
Bottom line: It is very real!
Like many people, I went through a phase where whenever I was bored at work, I found myself randomly browsing through amazon.com and within 10 minutes, I had $200 worth of items in my shopping bag and within another 30 seconds, I was clicking “Purchase Order.” It took a few months to fully understand the impact that this reckless behavior was having on my bank account… but then my credit card statements finally started pouring in.
I had to change my ways.
Now I follow one simple trick: Walk away!!
Whenever you have a loaded shopping cart online, just exit the screen and wait at least 2 days before revisiting your shopping cart again. This trick will help you avoid impulse purchases and you will find yourself widdiling down your items the second time around as you sit and think to yourself: “do I really need this?” There even have been many times that I have used this technique and have had the “what the bleep was I thinking?!” thought when logging back into my shopping account days later.
There are many more ways you can learn to control online shopping… but just remember: Unlike Monopoly, when shopping online, there is no such thing as a “get out of jail free card.”
photo credit: woodleywonderworks
{ 0 comments… add one now }