As we approach the holiday season, there are plenty of shopping temptations around every corner and website, so it’s easy to want to splurge here and there!
As someone who works in retail and is surrounded by heaps of clothing, I constantly find myself tempted to want to buy everything around me. It’s come to a point where I’ve realized how many of my purchases are unnecessary, though I’m not buying for myself. Even if I wanted to take a break and scroll through social media, I’ll find an ad for four pairs of shoes I had recently Googled to remind me of all the things I want! I still find it scary how ads are so targeted and personalized nowadays.
However, the holidays are when many retailers are having great sales, and by shopping mindfully, you can save money and end up with happier purchases!
Here’s a couple of tips to help you resist the temptation of overspending during the holidays:
- Make a wish list of everything you have been wanting to buy.
- Think it through. Do you really want/are you going to use everything you wrote on your list?
- Make a list for everything you want to buy for others.
- Establish a budget. Evaluate your lists and make any changes accordingly.
- Plan well in advance! Buy gifts ahead of time and take advantage of those sales to save money.
- Unsubscribe from email newsletters.
- Scroll through social media ads.
- Don’t buy anything that is not on #1 or #3.
Remember – sales are happening all the time; it’s a marketing strategy to incentivize customers to buy more. With our mass consumption and impulse buying, eventually making its way into landfills, we can create a change – even if that just means buying less!