Isn’t it true that you enjoy shopping? You feel much better after purchasing something. Why? The psychology of shopping aims at well-being because that new object appeals to self-esteem, to appreciation of oneself. Shopping on sales, too. The satisfaction of shopping on sales comes from the desire to have more and save money at the same time. Here we save by not paying a higher price for that good.
The psychology of shopping: needs or wants?
Shopping is an expense that we make. They represent the outflows from our budget. They are the ones that reduce income by leaving us with less money as a result of the decisions we make. In other words, they are purchases. We buy a good that we need or want.
Expenses, according to the budget, are divided into fixed expenses: expenses for needs: food, clothing, a roof over our heads, and extra or variable expenses related to desires: entertainment, going out, hobbies, vacations, lifestyle. This category also includes all those expenses “for the sake of spending” or impulsive ones. They are those made because “these shoes are the color of the new dress”, “because they are on sale and we will need them for an event; “we’ll buy them so they are there!”.
Discounts and the impulse to spend money
This period is marked by discounts in many categories. It is a period that stimulates spending money.
Usually every manufacturer, store makes discounts when they have products in stock and want to sell them faster. Now, however, it is not about such a situation, but simply about stimulating spending money. Now is the time when you can spend a lot of money on things that are not useful to you, because the argument is: “I save: from 200 lei I give only 100”, but in fact you did not save 100 lei, but you spent 100 lei. If you need certain things or would have wanted them and now they are on sale, yes, you save money.
Purchasing decisions
Purchasing decisions are made emotionally and are rationally reinforced.
You buy a pair of shoes because they are your favorite color and because you need them, because the pair you were using broke. This is an expense made on a need basis. If that pair of shoes is on sale, then even better.
If the thought is: “I am buying on sale because I am saving money”, then that is a desire; an impulsive desire. You buy and find that you do not need it. “Hmm…it is not quite what I expected it to be: it does not look good on me, it is not how I expected it to feel.”
Self-knowledge and patience
In saving/investing you need patience. The same goes for spending: be patient to see if the need to buy that thing persists. That good will not disappear; it will be there later, and if now is the moment when that thing is discounted, you can buy it without fear of spending money. However, if now you see something for the first time and it is discounted, and suddenly the need to buy it arises, you may be doing nothing but spending money, not saving with this discount.
I personally bought some books from Elefant. 3 weeks ago they had a 2+2 promotion. At that time, I bought some books that I had wanted for 2 months. Finding the promotion, comparing prices, I found that I could buy the two books I wanted and 2 others that I was vacillating over.
Shopping Psychology: Be Responsible for Yourself and Your Future!
Choose what suits you, what you want, and follow your plan! It is important to have a plan; to have goals based on which to establish a plan. No one and nothing will divert you from your path and plan. It is essential to have a why. It provides you with the necessary motivation. In life, obstacles appear on your path, and your why will be there to “push you from behind.” Nothing will be stronger than your why.
Do you have a goal? Do you want to plan it? I invite you to schedule a financial planning session.
We can plan together, for you, the important value objectives that you ardently want to achieve, such as: purchasing your own home/early closing the home loan, financially supporting your child, obtaining an additional income in retirement and derivatives from it, such as: obtaining your financial independence, financial freedom, establishing that passive income that gives you an increased standard of living for you and your family.https://www.psihologiabanilor.ro/planificare-financiara/
Success in becoming aware of money and the decisions you make at every step!
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