Here are four suggestions from Money Magazine to help you get your spending under control:
1. Breathe. Pulling out a credit card can trigger the same rush as a new love affair.
Make a list of what you'll buy and how much you plan to spend, and if you find yourself approaching the register saying, "Ah, what the hell," count to 10. Or step outside. Call your spouse. Whatever works.
2. Don't get sucked in. It's not a bargain if you don't actually need it.
3. Avoid plastic. Of the $400 billion that Americans spend each holiday season, roughly a third goes onto already overburdened credit cards, according to the National Retail Federation.
4. Step away from the changing room. Shopping expert Paco Underhill says we're twice as likely to buy clothes if we try them on.
My thoughts:
1. Concept #1 is interesting. I wonder if it works. I'll give it a try sometime in the future.
2. Interesting fact: "One recent study found that coupon-clipping supermarket shoppers spent 8 percent more than the coupon-free." I've posted on this before with a piece titled Coupons May Not Be Saving You Money.
3. For point #3 -- a credit card is ok if you pay it off every month. It's even better if you get rewards (like cash back) from it. Even a debit card won't protect you from spending money you shouldn't spend.
4. I didn't know that about trying on clothes, but it makes sense. If you go that far to try on something, odd are, you will probably buy it. Unless you're my wife that is. She picks an approximate size, takes it home, tries it on, then returns it if it doesn't fit. Don't bother telling me how strange this is -- I know.
I would have to say that #4 does the opposite for me. I now a giant, by any means (I think I am at a near average height of 6',2"), but I can never find pants that are long enough for me. It is like the age of the 34" inseam is dead or something. Usually, if I try on clothes, I end up putting all of my clothes back and then I leave.
Posted by: Dus10 | January 04, 2006 at 07:23 AM