The Daily Telegraph

How to avoid impulse shopping

- Linda Blair

Black Friday is almost here. The day when retailers tempt customers to spend as much as possible. Given that most of us are watching our finances more carefully than ever, this can cause anxiety. What can you do to find the best bargains while staying within your budget and, even more important, how can you avoid one of the most common mistakes – impulse buying?

1 Know yourself

Some of us are more vulnerable than others to making snap decisions. Impulsivit­y, the tendency to act without planning or considerin­g the consequenc­es of our actions, is a powerful and complex characteri­stic. It’s “moderately heritable”, according to Laura Bevilacqua at New York University, which means it’s apparent from an early age. Therefore, if you’re impulsive, it’s better to accept it as part of your character and use it to your advantage – for example, to boost creativity – rather than try to change or ignore it.

However, when you’re under pressure, the inclinatio­n to act first and consider the consequenc­es later is much harder for impulsive individual­s to resist than it is for others. Therefore, if you would describe yourself as “spontaneou­s”, “easily bored”, “unable to wait” or “easily swayed or distracted”, you’ll need to prepare carefully before shopping if you want to avoid regret.

2 Be aware of your ‘triggers’

Each of us has specific “triggers” – circumstan­ces that cause emotions to flood reason – and these are the occasions when we’re most likely to buy impulsivel­y. Before you shop, make a list of your particular triggers – tiredness, feeling depressed or guilty, knowing that you’re pressed for time – and vow not to buy when you’re feeling vulnerable.

3 Make a plan before you start shopping

You’ll be most likely to act on impulse if you have no idea what you want to buy or how much you expect to spend. Make a list of your hoped-for purchases and allocate a maximum price to each. You may wish to do some window shopping in advance. If so, do that without your credit card.

4 Beware retail atmospheri­cs

In 1973, Philip Kotler, professor of marketing at Northweste­rn University, argued that consumers want more than simply to purchase items when they shop. They want what he called the “total product” – service, packaging, associated advertisin­g and a great atmosphere. When creating that atmosphere, he urged retailers to address all our senses – to ensure that what we see, hear and even smell will make us want to buy. Shops try hard to achieve this, because it works. Research has shown that we’re likely to spend more money if we like the scent in a shop, and to buy more expensive wines when listening to classical music.

Of course, a pleasant atmosphere is great, but remember not to let it distract you from sticking to your shopping list or abandoning your budget.

Linda Blair is a clinical psychologi­st and author of Siblings: How to Handle Rivalry and Create Lifelong Loving

Bonds. To order for £10.99, visit books.telegraph.co.uk. Watch her give advice at telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/video/mind-healing

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