Tricks of Marketers and Stop Buying Unnecessary Things – Going to the store for pasta and butter, and ended up coming to the cash register with a cart of products? And many of them are perishable. Or did you want to deposit your money at a good interest rate or bet it on 22bet.com, but ended up with a subscription to unnecessary fee-based services? Let’s find out how not to get caught up in popular marketing tricks and not to spend more than you planned.
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Tricks of Marketers and Stop Buying Unnecessary Things – Many spontaneous purchases are not by chance. You are skillfully pushed to them by merchandisers, who arrange the shelves of goods so that you buy what they need to sell in the first place. And spend more money.
For example, bread, milk, and other necessities are usually located in the back of the store, and in different corners. On the way to them you notice and take something else with you – a juice packet, a can of sprats, socks, or an oven mitt. And there are gum and chocolates waiting near the cash register, and “your inner child” or the one you ran into the store with after kindergarten starts begging for these sweets while you are standing in line.
Clothing stores also have their own tricks. They hang next to matching items of color and style: for example, a shirt and matching pants. They put shoes next to bags. And in front of the cash register they lay out a whole scattering of jewelry, scarves and cosmetic bags. And now you have chosen not only the shoes you came for, but also five pairs of socks, another water-repellent spray, and while you were standing in line you grabbed a belt.
Online stores use their own tricks. For example, they remind you what you ordered before. Or take out products with discounts in the most prominent place, so they catch the eye all the time. Even if the thing is not really needed, there is great temptation to buy it just because of the bargain price.
How to avoid unnecessary spending:
- Make a list of necessary goods and strictly adhere to it.
- Calculate in advance how much you’re going to spend. Stay within your budget. If you are used to paying in cash, do not take more than you need.
- Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. When you’re hungry, you run the risk of even buying things you don’t need.
- Before shopping for clothes and shoes, do a closet revision. Assemble ready-made kits: this way you will understand what you are really missing, and you will be able to resist buying another sweater instead of the necessary shirt.
- Don’t grab a basket or cart at the door when you’ve only popped into the store for a few groceries. You can carry a bundle of rice and a can of coffee to the cash register. And if your hands are busy, you won’t be tempted to buy something you don’t need.
- Don’t be lazy to look at the lower or upper shelves: often there are products at a better price than at eye level.
- Before paying, check again with your list. It’s possible that some of the items in the shopping cart are only due to tricks of the marketers.
When in doubt, don’t buy something immediately, give yourself time to think. Compare analogues and prices in different retail chains. Check if you can order the looked-after jeans online for a lower price. Sometimes you can find the same items even cheaper on marketplaces. But sometimes the opposite is true.
The Effect of Scarcity
Tricks of Marketers and Stop Buying Unnecessary Things – Sometimes sellers create the appearance of scarcity, to increase its value in your eyes. For example, in the online store next to the product there is a note that it’s the last one. Or an online hotel aggregator shows that a hotel room for the dates you’re interested in is being viewed by five other people at the same time. It makes you worry that other people will be ahead of you.
Another similar technique is to announce that there are only a few days until the end of the discount, promotion, or sale. Some online venues for persuasiveness even add a timer that counts down. After all, in a few days it will be much more expensive.
How not to get caught:
- Don’t give in to the hype. Even if the product you want is out of stock and you don’t have time to buy it, there will surely be a similar one. If not in this store, then in another. Perhaps even cheaper. As a last resort you can wait for a new shipment.
- Don’t pay for spontaneous purchases at once, especially if they are large sums. Take a break: for example, put the product in the shopping cart of the online store, and postpone the order for the next day. Perhaps after a day it will not seem so vital to you.
- Don’t rush to open the piggy bank if you do not have enough money, and today is the last day for a discount. For example, on your favorite online courses. Find out how often training is offered – perhaps every couple of months. And you’ll be just in time to set aside the right amount for the next set of students.
The main advice is to take your time and be guided by common sense.
Mythical Discounts and Unnecessary Promotional Goods
Multicolored price tags with a crossed out “old” cost and attractive discounts are not always a guarantee of benefit. In some cases, in order to get the maximum discount, you need to be the owner of a premium card at that store.
Sometimes the price that the seller supposedly lowers is just a fabrication. In reality, the product was still exactly the same price as it was after the discount was applied.
Often stores do make a discount, but not for charity. For example, they try to free the shelves for a new collection. Or they try to quickly sell goods that are nearing their expiration date. You need to keep this in mind and be guided by your own interests.
How to save money:
- Carefully study under what conditions you can make a purchase at a reduced price. If the discount is given only by the store card. It may be worth applying for it before you pay for the purchase.
- Check to see if you got the discount on the receipt. The cashier may not take it into account due to inattention or on purpose. If you find that the discount was not applied, ask to cancel the transaction and sell you the product according to the price tag.
- Often subscriptions are cheaper if you make them out at once for several months. But this option isn’t always convenient. For example, a yearly subscription to a gym can save money for those who attend classes regularly. If your athletic enthusiasm is only enough for a couple of workouts a month, and the remaining time you lose to the attraction of the couch. You will only lose money.
- Download apps to compare prices. Of course, not everyone wants every three days to look for where to save a few rubles on bread or tomatoes. But when it comes, for example, to stocking up on household chemicals, it makes sense to go to the supermarket where the price is lower.
A general rule of thumb is to proceed from your needs and opportunities, not from fear of missing out on a profit.