Retailers are smart. They know quite well that if they slash prices of some products and sell them in huge volumes they'll still make decent profits at the end of it all. And many shoppers often fall victim to this ruse. They could see a discount offered on something and it looks like so great a deal that desiring not to miss out, they'll buy something which they may probably never even use. Has the prospect of getting a discount made you buy something you didn't need [in the past]?
Quiet often, it does happen to me and my husband whenever we are in a buying mood. Just recently, we went to DIY store to check out their car cover promo since we badly needed a new one for our car. There were a lot of products on sale at that time and the sales persons were all racing to seal a deal. To cut the story short, we ended up buying a car cover and a cooler which were both on sale at that time.
Yes, It's has happened to me before. After a while, I had realised that I made an error in taking advantage of the deal. Nowadays, however, I have gotten a bit wiser which now prompts me not to take a deal for just merely saving on the price of the goods, the goods should be important to my needs.
Most of us fall for this trap more than we are able to admit. Businesses are fully aware of this fact and they try to take advantage of it whenever they can especially when it comes to seasonal products. The concept of “impulse buying” is embedded into the minds of consumers. We often feel the need to buy something we don’t need just because the price has been cut.
We have to admit this sin - I'm sure 99% of us here in this forum have succumbed to the temptation of buying something you don't need just because of the discount. We are bargain hunters and sometimes a good deal ruins our disposition in being wise and frugal such that we buy something even if we don't have a clear idea of its use. Don't worry, it is an instinct so you need not fault yourself.
Yes, I tend to do that all the time, but it doesn't seem to bother me, because even if can't use the said item right now, it will probably will get used for later. Or it will probably be given as a gift to someone who needs it.
A perfect example of this is the use of grocery store coupons. They can really get out of hand. I have a couple of rules I follow. First I go through the coupons for things that I normally buy. I may stock up on these items, because that is just great savings. Then I look at the other coupons and if something appeals to me, maybe something we have never tried, then I allow two or three things into the budget like that. And that is our fun food for the week. That way I get to try some things, but I don't go overboard.
Oh yeah! I went food shopping and went to the restroom. Saw sale racks and paused and pawed a bit and bought things I did not need that are a bit small too. I though it would fit and did not bother to try them on. Never buy without trying it on not matter how cheap it is!
