Sales can be an enormous temptation. The draw of low prices and great deals can be a siren’s call, luring in people to get big bargains.
But what are you really buying?
Even in the best of circumstances, post-sale regret can be a real thing. After all, you’re still spending money that could have been used for other things. You might also come to recognize that the things you bought aren’t that great to begin with.
Still the temptation of sales can be tremendous at times. The possibility of finding that big bargain on that thing you’re really looking for can pull you right into the store. And before you know it, you’ve swiped that credit card once again.
[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]
Here are six strategies to avoid that scenario and break the temptation of sales.
1. Don’t go to the sale to begin with. It really is that simple. Just because a store is holding a sale doesn’t mean you have to go, especially when you don’t have something specific in mind that you need to buy.
Just don’t go to sales. In fact, don’t even look for sales unless you have a specific item in mind, at which point you should focus on sales solely for that item.
Sales on a bunch of stuff you don’t really need aren’t worth your time.
2. Make a “microbudget” before you go. If you decide that a sale is worthwhile, decide exactly how much you’re going to budget before you go and take exactly that amount in cash. Leave your credit cards behind so that you can’t spend more, even if you want to.
This strategy enables you to keep a firm grip on exactly how much you spend at a sale by denying yourself the capacity to spend more. You can choose your spending limit in advance by taking a serious look at your financial state and deciding what’s appropriate before you’re ever even tempted by an on-sale item.
3. Ask yourself if you would buy this if it were not on sale. The price is great and the item is intriguing, but do you really need it? Just ask yourself this simple question: Would you really be considering this item if it were not on sale? If the answer is no, then there’s no good reason to buy it.
Just because an item has a discount attached to it doesn’t miraculously raise the quality level of the item. If it’s not something you would consider without the sale price attached, then it’s not something you should consider even when the price is right.
[See: 50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2016.]
4. Figure out if it’s really a bargain or not. Sometimes things that appear to be bargains really aren’t bargains. Even huge discounts might not really be all that much of a savings.
When you see a price that seems good on an item that you would actually consider at full price, pull out your smartphone and start shopping around. You might just find that this great sale price in front of you actually isn’t that great at all.
At that point, there’s no reason to buy it now. If you can get it somewhere else at a similar price, wait on it for a while and make sure you actually want this item.
5. Keep a physical reminder of your bigger goals on hand. Sales can be a huge distraction from the bigger picture in your life. When a 50 percent off tag is in front of you, it can sometimes fill your whole frame of mind and dominate your decision-making process.
[See: 10 Foolproof Ways to Reach Your Money Goals.]
Don’t let that happen. Keep a physical reminder of the bigger goals you have in your life on hand, preferably in a place that you’ll have to notice before you spend money. Use a money clip that depicts your family. Wrap your credit card in a sheath that shows your dream home on it. Add a caption to those images that says, “What are you doing today to achieve this dream?”
That little physical reminder can be enough to convince you to stop in your tracks and think again about what you’re doing.
6. Cultivate friendships with people who don’t care about the sales. Friendships and social groups often play a big part in “sale fever.” When you’re at a sale with friends who are also spending money, it’s really tempting to give into that indirect peer pressure and spend money, too.
A good approach to curbing your sale spending — and your incidental spending overall — is to cultivate friendships with people who couldn’t care less about sales, people who find pleasure and joy in other aspects of life.
If you have a dinner party at your house with friends who don’t care about sales, not only are you keeping yourself out of the stores, you’re also going to have conversations that don’t lead you back into sales. Simply choose to accentuate your relationship with people who don’t care about the sales at all and you’ll find that you care a little less, too.
Following these simple strategies can keep you from overspending at sales on things you don’t really need. Good luck.
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6 Strategies for Taking the Temptation out of Sales originally appeared on usnews.com
