Six Tips To Shop Smarter

1. If you are doing all of your shopping in one store,be careful! Studies show that when all purchases are done in one place consumers are more likely to buy more. This is because of the "what the heck" effect. If you are planning to spend four hundred dollars on clothes, what is another fifty dollar pair of jeans going to do to hurt your finances any more?

2. Bargains may not always be cheaper. Clinical studies shows us that we tend to make more purchases when merchandise is marked down. Also, we have a tendency to fall for schemes such as "three low payments of 29.99"

3. Always try to pay with cash and put credit cards on hold if possible. When you use cash you see the amount of money that you're spending as your wallet gets smaller. Credit cards on the other hand can be deceptive and often times you can fall prey to the attitude that "I already have debt might as well add more."

4. Studies show that your emotional state can have an effect on the amount of items you purchase. Being in a miserable mood can cause impulsivity which leads to spending money on items that might not be necessary.

5. For most customers shopping is a way of socializing and exercising to relieve tension. It may be a good idea to take up some hobbies to keep your mind off of spending and shopping. You can try jogging or a book club that doesn't entail spending money.

6. Watch out when using your debit card because it can encourage more spending on small ticket merchandise that do not seem like a big deal at the time but add up after the fact.