“It is not your salary that makes you rich, it is your spending habits.” -Charles A. Jaffe
“Stores have massive sales do not mean we need to buy what they are selling. Sales do not mean we are saving money–it means we are spending it. We used precious life hours earning our money and we want to use that to live, not to buy.” -Leo Babauta
During this Christmas season, Holiday sales are abound and people are in a shopping frenzy here and there. With great deals in almost every nook and cranny in many stores, it can be rather hard to think about your budget–not when you just had your Christmas bonus pay and several pecuniary gifts. However, one should be mindful that the season is fleeting but the same should not be the case of your financial resources.
When you are out shopping, it is always best to stick to a realistic budget regardless of whether there is a sale or not. This is all the more true if you have squeezed the last centavo or penny out of your budget. In any case, the next time you are shopping whether in upscale malls such as greenbelt or elsewhere, keep these tips below in mind so as not to overspend and end up with buyer’s remorse.
1. Make the store as a last resort
Whenever you need something such as a new pair of shoes for an event, a kitchen appliance in order to make a particular confectionery or anything else that you would need permanently, exhaust all of your available resources before heading out to the store. Other options apart from straight out buying it is finding out if you can get it for free or for less than what the stores would offer by people doing bargain deals online. Apart from that, consider borrowing it from a relative or a friend especially if you are going to be using said item infrequently or just once. One good example is borrowing a bestseller novel from the library or from a friend instead of buying it straightaway.
2. Negotiate when possible
Unless you are shopping at the ayala mall or at the grocery center, prices are not always set on stone and you may want to use this to your advantage. Consider negotiating a lower price–especially if the items you are picking up have already been used for a considerable amount of time or have been opened. Additionally, if you are doing transactions online, your seller might want to barter so offer him or her some items of yours that are no longer of use. In this way, you can get rid of an old item and save money as well.
3. Curb your impulses
When everything is on sale and when you are surrounded by a lot of bargain deals, the desire to pick up anything on sight and place them in your cart can be overwhelming. However, you need to exercise control when it comes to this. After all, why would you buy an item–even if it is offered on a seventy percent discount if you do not necessarily need it? Before purchasing anything–even if it is on sale, consider how much you truly need the item before checking out.
4. Leave your credit card at home
When you are out shopping whether on store sales or not, bringing your credit card with you can pose a very great risk to the budget you have carefully planned. With credit cards, it is easy to be tempted with various items because you do not necessarily see money coming out of your pockets but plastic instead.
However, this is an insidious way to make you break your budget plans and should you make a practice out of it, it can certainly affect your spending habits. Remember, just because you are not paying it today does not mean you would not be paying it sooner. When the time comes that you would need the money, you might just regret overindulging yourself in shopping for items you never really needed.
5. When in doubt leave the store
When you are uncertain whether or not to buy a particular item, leave the store instead and fight the impulse to buy it straight out. If you truly want the item and would decide to get it later on, you can always go back the next day. When you are unsure about an item, you would be a lot happier if you saved your money.
