Is that ALL you’re buying?!!

I had an annoying experience last week at the shops which angered me a little. After discussing it with my partner at the weekend, it turns out he too experienced something similar. I therefore decided to write a blog about it.

I visited a large retail shop and bought only two small items. The lady at the till commented on my small purchase by saying “You’ve come all this way here and only bought this?” I laughed it off and said yes but as I walked away it angered me that I was being ridiculed in an effort to either drum up sales or the lady herself was unfamiliar to just buying a few items when she went shopping.

My partner then shared his shopping experience with me. As he was paying for his goods at another large retail shop, his purchases were also queried. His was slightly different although a very similar theme. He had bought an item that was on offer and was asked “You only getting one? I would have thought you’d have at least bought two!”

I am therefore going on the assumption that it is an effort to drum up more sales. The retail industry has some good tactics at doing this and hence why I believe this is another one. I also want to share it with you so that you are not influenced by this!

I often share with my clients, the human psychology that the retail industry knows that will influence you to part with money. I share some of these with you, in my forthcoming book Successful Business Minds, however I also touched on it in my free ebook 12 steps to improve your cashflow.

If you want to be control of your finances, you have to understand your thinking and actions behind your spending. It doesn’t mean you don’t buy anything. It just means you are more in control of what you buy and when you buy it and hence not influenced by friends or the retail industry.

First you must identify why you are buying something. You’ll likely tell me it is because you wanted it, but why did you want it? Perhaps it was a bargain. Ok, but did you really need it, or did you even go into the shop to buy it? Did you have any intentions on buying it at some stage? If the answer is “No” to that last question then trust me when I say you have been influenced into buying it!

I love bargains as much as anyone, but I do only buy something that I intended on buying either on that date as I was heading to the shops, or it was something that I was planning on buying at a later date when I could afford it, assuming of course that I can afford it at the moment when it is on offer.

I encourage you too, to give a bit more thought to your spending. Certainly buy yourself stuff that you need, but just pause before doing it and ask “Do I really need this?” and be curious to what your thoughts respond with and more importantly, how you feel about being asked that question.

© Helen Monaghan

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