Every year when the seasons change I go through my clothes cupboard filling with a big bag of “rejects” which make their way to Value Village or some other #charity box. This habit got me thinking: Why do I #buy so many things which I do not really need without thinking about the financial consequences? Why do so many of my #friends do the same? One buys #shoes, one buys #purses, one buys #jewelry and there are many other examples. I decided to do some research, and this is some of what I found:
We want to impress #people
Why do we do this? Do you think they really care which car we drive, or the purse we carry? Not really…it is our need to impress others is the ultimate reason without thinking about our wallet or bank account.
We are creatures of habit.
When shopping we like to look around. I know that when I go out grocery shopping many things make their way into my shopping basket which were not on my shopping list. Do you do the same?
We don’t appreciate what we already have
When shopping and buying an item we purchased previously we don’t stop to tell ourselves “I already have this item which is doing a good #job”, so why buy another?
When we are gloomy, we get a high from buying
I watched my friend the other day after she received some disappointing news get on line using her credit card (after all, you can always pay it later) and buy a designer expensive pair of #boots. Once the transaction was complete, she turned around and said: “I feel so much better”.
We are exposed to too much #advertising
When I ride the #subway and look at the advertising I often ask myself why companies advertise in subway cars – does it really work? It must work, or they would not be investing an enormous amount of money on advertising with flyers, the internet, billboards, television and so on? Think about it – the effects of advertising are extremely powerful. The more you hear or see it, your subconscious “buys” it. Point of fact: When I needed business cards, did not go shopping for a supplier, I went directly to #Vistaprint.
We buy it just because we want to
As human beings we are naturally selfish. Many times, we buy not because we need it. We buy it just because we feel like it. Sounds familiar?
What are some of the reasons that you buy things which you don’t really need?
