Is that app a bad influence?
continue using (and paying for) them, as opposed to canceling when they’re done, says Susan Weinschenk, a behavioral scientist and CEO of The Team W, a consulting company.
“If it requires action to make it stop, then we’re less likely to actually take that action and make it stop,” Weinschenk says. “We all fall prey to inertia.”
To save, stay away from subscriptions and their corresponding apps in the first place. Or, use apps to fight apps.
For example, Weinschenk suggests setting up alerts to remind you when a free trial is expiring — before you’re charged. You can also set up twiceyearly alerts as a reminder to review all of your ongoing subscriptions, streaming services and so forth. friends — could encourage you to purchase things you wouldn’t otherwise buy.
But deleting social media isn’t an option for many. schenk. That way, you “Most people really want to Deals make people feel aren’t constantly flooded have social media in their good. with push notifications lives, so I can’t see getting
When consumer psyabout sales. rid of those apps,” Yarrow chologist Kit Yarrow interAnother strategy? Weinsays. viewed shoppers about schenk said she’s downInstead, she says to be how they feel when getting loaded a store’s app, reaware that Instagram and a good bargain, they’ve deemed a coupon offer and Facebook will present you likened it to coming in first then uninstalled the app with buying opportunities. in a race or getting a raise at just as easily as she inBe conscious that markettheir job. stalled it. ing is constantly targeted at
“There’s just a winning But if you’re disciplined, you, and “you’re being feeling,” says Yarrow, who you can keep the apps, says hunted, stalked, chased is also the author of “DeCasey Taylor, a partner in down,” Yarrow says. “When coding the New Consumer Bain & Company’s retail you go shopping online, if Mind: How and Why We practice. Take advantage of you stop and hover too long Shop and Buy.” the savings within shopover a product, that prod
Deal-centric apps, such ping apps, but also monitor uct’s going to show up on as those for certain stores, how much you’re spending your social media feed, and bring those feel-good barin them. For example, you have to be ready to say gains straightno.”toyouviacheckyourcreditcard your smartphone. But statements regularly to stay Even when you’re not tempting sale notifications within your discretionary paying money for these can encourage more shopspending budget. apps, Yarrow says you’re ping, which may mean it’s paying with your attention. better to delete those retail apps altogether.
Or at least turn off the app’s alerts, advises Wein
The products you see in your social media feed — whether from retailers or
Rewards program apps, whether for a grocery store, airline or coffee shop, typically function in much the same way. The more customers spend, the more rewards they unlock.
Taylor says it can almost feel like a game.
For example, in the Starbucks app, “You earn stars that you can then burn for rewards,” she says. If you’re a very disciplined customer, you could save money by claiming a free coffee or snack using stars you accumulated from items you were already buying, Taylor says.
But, she adds, “what you see is it becomes psychologically tempting to buy things just to earn those stars.”
So be careful not to let climbing the tiers of a reward system lead you to spend more in the process.
With any app, Yarrow says one way to curb excess purchases is to simply be aware of the potential dangers. Pause and recognize your tendency to overspend before it happens.