You have to be a good shopper. A dozen eggs cost about $2.70. That’s six eggs each in any form you want to make ‘em. Eggs are full of protein and, therefore, quite filling. Shop the sales: one week bread may be on sale, the next tins of salmon. Have a float of about $20 in your food jar to take advantage of the specials that will save you money over the month. Scour the fliers for deals and then hit the store with the price-matching policy. Peanut butter that usually sells for almost five bucks can be had for as little as $2.49 on sale.  (I bought four.)

You have to use everything you buy. Waste is the biggest enemy of a tight budget. Old potatoes become hash browns. Just-going-off veggies become stew fixin’s. Chicken bones become stock with addition of some onions (cheap) and left over veggies.

Look for alternatives. Beans are a great source of protein. Add a little sausage (you can buy a pack of 5 sausages for $3.49 and one to a meal for flavour), and bulk up with veggies that will give you the vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. Overeating happens when you’re eating empty calories and your brain says, “keep going” until you get the nutrients it wants.

Invest in healthy staples. Peanut butter, oatmeal, rice, chickpeas and pasta all make your food budget go much further. Batch cook and freeze portions so you can jump-start dinner when you’re short of time or energy. Soup is easy to make and can feed you for days (or freeze it for a meal next week and in weeks to come for variety). I’ve got a squash and some garlic roasting in the oven right now. I’ll add one of my frozen containers of chicken stock (which cost pennies to make), some ginger (a little goes a long way) and I’ll have enough soup for 6 lunches.

Don’t buy prepared foods. Legumes cost less than a dollar a pound and one pound makes the equivalent of three cans. Making your own sauces means you can flavour it just the way you like (more or less garlic, with or without cilantro).

Add variety. Mussels are cheap (less than $2 a pound) and you don’t have to get too fancy with them. Add stock (do you know you can make fish stock from left-over shrimp tails along with fish skin and bones?), sweet onion, garlic, a bay or lime leaf and enjoy a fabulous meal. Or curry those puppies and then use the left-over sauce to cook your next meal of rice.

Eat the recommended size portions. We tend to over-eat big-time. Learn to eat less and take the time to enjoy every bite. Make eating a wonderful experience as opposed to something you rush through. Savour the flavours. Take smaller bites. Relish the freshness.

Stick with lots of fruit and veggies, and eliminate most of your meat. You might be surprised at how little meat you have to eat to be healthy.  As Michael Pollan says,  “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

Yes, occasionally our banks do some bonehead lending or waste a bunch of money expanding into markets they didn’t take the time to figure out. But the money they make off the fees and interest they charge us are astounding. And you know what? You’re contributing in no small way to that profitability with your penchant for using credit and your apathy towards fees.

First up are all the idiots who pay ATM fees. I’ve looked through bank statements showing a $20 withdrawal holding hands with a $3 fee. Lord love a duck! That’s a 15% fee. Iffin you’re usin’ an ATM like a wallet, what’s wrong with you? That’s money you could be saving that’s doing nothing for you other than feeding your Lazy Habit.

Then there are the dopes that think living in overdraft is a good idea. Heavens to Betsy! I put this down to ignorance because I can’t believe a person with even half a brain thinks it’s okay to always have their bank account in a negative position. It’s not just the monthly fee (if you even have a plan, ‘cos I’ve seen some folks paying $5 a day for every day they’re in overdraft), there’s the interest charge too. No, that’s not 1.75% a year… that’s a MONTH, which translates into 21% a year.

OD was never meant as a cash flow supplement. It was always meant for emergencies. If you are always in overdraft it’s because you haven’t made friends with a budget. Do it.

I’ve saved my fav for last. A special shout out to the people who have to trick themselves into saving by using one of those “round up” accounts that transfers a little money after every debit card transaction to a tied-in savings account paying a pathetic return. Do you know you could double your interest if you just shopped around for a better savings account?  But because so many people have been convinced that there’s some mystery involved in finding the money to save, these products have become increasingly popular.

Only a total money moron thinks being tricked into savings s better than planning to save. And then when all those debits have bled dollars a day into savings (oh, see it works!) and the auto debit for a car payment or other pre-authorized payment bounces to high heaven because there isn’t enough money in the account, it takes all the money “saved” and then some to cover the extra fees. Well done!

Marketers know that consumers shrink from buying either the highest- or lowest-priced stuff. They default to the price in the middle. This is called the “compromise effect”; it’s a major predictor of how we buy and companies rely on it to increase sales of their most profitable items.

That’s probably why the salesperson at the TV store, car store or shoe store steers you toward the most expensive options first. They know you’re not going to buy them, but they want to establish what “high” is so you feel comfortable with their next offering which is more “in the middle.”

Hotels, airlines, and department stores use a similar ploy by posting “full” prices, deep discount prices, and the prices they’re banking on you choosing. Williams-Sonoma Inc. increased sales of its $275 bread machine by adding a second, slightly larger model to its catalogue at a price of just over $400. It works in Corporate Land too: Xerox Corp. saw it’s sales on it’s high-volume copier jump after it brought out a higher-priced model with extra bells and whistles that purchasing managers could feel good about rejecting.

So is there any way to avoid compromise effect and being manipulated to buy what the salesman wants you to buy? Sure there is. It’s called knowledge. According to one study, people with a high level of knowledge are more influenced by that knowledge than by the context they are placed in. So when you know the score, the high-low game won’t work on you. It would also behoove you to spend some time shopping around. It seems the more familiar you are with the product, the less likely you will be to choose the compromise option. So go hang out with the product you’re thinking about buying. Get to know it before you make the commitment to bring it home. Think of all the fun you’ll have shopping and all the satisfaction you’ll derive from having beat the marketing masters at their own game.

If the season’s gotten ahead of you and you’re in a rush to finish your shopping list, know that you’re going to be that much more susceptible to the marketing ploys being used to grab your attention and get you to commit to walking out of the store with “new and shiny.” And next year, don’t leave it to the last minute. A little planning will save you tons of money.

BTW: I’M LOOKING FOR IDEAS FROM YOU. I’ve been running the polls and have gathered some very useful info I’ve been able to feed back to you. Do you use the Polls? Do you like the info I gather? If so, what would you like to see a poll done on next year? Send me your top three poll ideas for a chance to win a copy of Debt-Free Forever, Never Too Late or Money-Smart Kids in paper… yup, it’s now available as a paperback for $6.99.

Helping kids create expectations you can manage is an important part of learning about how to make the most of what you have, as opposed to always wanting more, More, MORE. Suggest your kids make a list of four or five things they’d like as gifts. Make it clear that it isn’t your intent to buy everything on the list, but they’ll get at least one or two things. Now your children know what they can expect and it isn’t the world. And you can create a shopping list that fits within your budget.

Toys and electronics are often at the top of kids’ lists and tend to be big money-eaters. But there’s no need to hit a fancy toy store or high-priced electronics store to make magic. Your little mites won’t wonder how much you paid for that bucketful of Lego you found at the garage sale. And who cares if Barbie doesn’t come in a fancy package if she does comes with a boxful of clothes, all from a local toy-trade.  Many electronic stores have refurbished options that are a fraction of the cost of buying new. Shopping smart leaves you room in your holiday or birthday budget for the little extras that will make the day special.

During the year you can establish your own toy-trade to keep your kids’ toy-chests fresh and interesting. Meet once a month for a play-date with a few friends and each bring five toys you’re prepared to trade. Now your kids have new, interesting playthings that didn’t tap your budget.

Clothing is another of those kid categories where you can blow a fortune or save big-time. Second-hand and thrift shops are great places to score brand name clothes in good condition. But whether you’re Christmas shopping or getting ready for back-to-school, first, start with a list.

Keep an inventory of what your kids have and what they will soon need so you’re in a position to spot a bargain as you’re browsing. If you come across a great deal and it isn’t on your list, walk away unless you have plenty of money to spare. With kids growing at record speed, it’s unlikely that the clothes you buy will wear out before they are out-grown. Taking your child’s used clothes to a second-hand store is a great way to build up credits for when you need to get Little Missy a new leotard for dance class.

2. Verify before you buy. Before tossing anything into your shopping cart ask yourself why you are buying it. Are you just fulfilling your duty to give a gift? Are you showing off? Are you trying to keep up? Or are you giving something you can afford that your friend, sister, son or partner will truly enjoy receiving? Your mom, dad or BFF aren’t going to be happier that you put yourself in financial stress rather than giving them something that might be slightly less and within your means, if they really love you. If they are judging you on your pressie, then they don’t really love you and you shouldn’t be buying them ANYTHING.

3. Get gift receipts. Include them with the present. People often accept gifts gracefully because they are good people, only to be stuck with something they’d never wear, never use, never re-gift. What a waste. Loads of people say, “if you need the gift receipt, I have one”, but the gift recipient may feel it is rude to ask for it. Avoid the potential yuck and just include it in the present.

4. Use gift cards carefully. People use gift cards to make the holiday season easier to manage. Since you’re translating real money into retail dollars you can only spend in one place, make sure you choose a reputable retailer.

5. Learn from your mistakes. Want to avoid the sinking feeling that you’re going to come out of the holidays with a hangover next year. Make a plan. Set aside 1/12th of whatever you end up spending this year starting in January. Planning is the key to everything. Know how much you’ll need to spend on everything from gifts to wrapping, food to wine, hostess gifts to decorations, postage to travel, cards to photos, and then do it in bite-sized pieces. This time next year you can shop guilt free and without worry of a holiday hangover.

Your turn: What do you find most frustrating about holiday shopping and the “giving” season?

When exactly is the best time to use all of those coupons you accumulate? Good question. I always advise against using coupons the moment you find them (unless you were planning to buy the product the coupon is for, of course).  A better idea is to hold on to your coupons until a great sale comes along that you can match it with. This is key to saving boatloads of money at the store(s).

Stores have regular yearly sales cycles, so you can find most things on sale every 3 months or so. Let’s use an example of cake mix. Boxes of this product go on sale very cheap in December (when people are doing lots of baking for the holidays). Assume you found a $0.50 Betty Crocker cake mix coupon in November, when boxes of that cake mix sell for $1.99. As long as the expiration date is not until December or later, I suggest holding on to that coupon until the month of December when cake mix goes on sale.

Let’s say it goes on sale for $0.99 per box mid-December. THAT would be the time to buy your cake mix – get it for $0.49 per box, instead of the $1.49 per box you would have paid if you had not waited for a sale.

See what I mean?

Hold on to those precious slips of paper until you can match them with a great sale, to get products for free or very cheap. To make sure you don’t forget what coupons you have on hand, be sure to organize your coupons. There are many ways to do this, including using a coupon binder or envelopes.

Another great way to save money is by stockpiling. Stockpiling is when you purchase many items when they are at your rock bottom price and hold on to them until you need them, instead of running out to the store when you need them and paying full price.

Why should you stockpile? Well, the main reason is of course to save money. By purchasing items that are on sale for a very low price (or even free with coupons, if you are lucky!) and storing them until you need them, you are able to stretch your dollars further.

When you find items that are deeply discounted, pick up as many as you can afford and stockpile them. Be sure to only purchase what your family can easily consume before it expires. Store these items on a shelf in your basement or garage, an unused closet or scattered throughout your home in the areas they would be used (bar soap in the bathroom cabinet, laundry soap in the laundry room, cereal in the pantry, etc.).

It’s important to remember when you start stockpile that you do not compare yourself to others that also have a stockpile. Each family is different. Not everyone will stockpile the exact same items and not everyone will be able to store the same amount of items. Do what’s best for you and your family.

Interested in winning a copy of Cassie Howard’s eBook Money In Your Pocket? Leave a comment on this post, letting us all know how you save money during the holidays. Two winners will be drawn this week.  This contest is available to residents of Canada only.

1. Pretend You’re Santa. Make a list and check it twice. Who doesn’t need to be on there? To whom can you give a token gift to celebrate the season? How can you make your gift list fit within your budget? Secret Santa works at work, why not also among a brood of siblings? Once you have a list, jot down your gift ideas for each person on your list.

2. Don’t go hungry. As you grab your list and your keys, grab a sandwich and a drink. If you’re going to be out shopping for a while, pack a healthy snack and some water. Hunger and thirst have a way of muddling your thinking. Keep your energy up so your brain (and self control) can work properly.

3. Don’t self-gift while you’re shopping. The One-for-you-one-for-me approach to holiday shopping is just an excuse to be self-indulgent. According to an American Express survey, more than three-quarters of us buy something for ourselves while shopping for others.

4. Give of yourself. The very best gifts don’t have cost a lot. Offer up your time babysitting, cooking meals, house cleaning, massaging, sewing, knitting, transporting, or whatever else you’re good at. Clip a picture of the service you’ll provide and be clear on how often, as in “I’ll babysit one weekend a month from February to June.” Or better yet, make your own coupon book.

5. Shop with cash this holiday season. Why? Because if you take a card, you’ll think you can spend more and then you’ll get stuck paying the minimum payments. At 18% interest, $500 in holiday spending would take seven years to pay off and cost $365 in interest. Ouch! According to credit counselors, nearly 1/3 of us are still paying off the bills we racked up last year.

Your turn: How do you shop for the holidays and hold on to your sanity?

Do Shop with a Friend. If you shop alone you run the risk of not seeing all sides of the equation. Another set of eyes can be priceless when it comes to noticing the small details that can affect your decision.

Don’t Arrive Late for a viewing. The last thing you want to do is rush through your home tour. And you don’t want to run into other home-buyers because that might push you to do something stupid like getting involved in a bidding war. No house is worth going into more debt than you can afford to carry comfortably.

Do Take Photos and Notes. If you’re relying on your memory you’ll soon find that all the properties you’ve viewed start running together. Take a notebook, note the address and some of the details of the property, and take lots of pictures. Later, if you have questions about a particular property, you can note them on that property’s page in your notebook.

Don’t Focus on the Clutter. Most sellers now know to clean up and clear out. But there are still families that have to live in the homes they are selling, particularly ones with kids. Don’t focus on the stuff. Imagine the rooms empty. And remember that paint is cheap!

Do Go Bank and Look Again. Once you’ve short-listed the properties you like, go back for a second round of note- and picture-taking. Now you’re weighing characteristics of one home against another to find the perfect fit. Try to go at another time of day from your initial viewing so that you can see the property (and the surrounding areas) in a different light, literally.

Don’t Ignore Details. Transportation, parking, neighbours, shopping, schools, churches, where the sun rises and sets, traffic patterns, they’ll all have an impact on your life in your new home. Don’t brush them aside in favour of a fabulous kitchen or a spa-like bathroom. Yes, the features of the home are important, but so is the area in which you live and the amenities available.

Do Have a List of Questions. In the excitement of the moment, it can be easy to forget important questions you want to ask about a property: What does it cost a month to heat? What’s the traffic like in the area? Where is the closest grocery store? Have there been mould, termite or foundation leakage problems? Write down a list of whatever you want to know so you can make a sound decision. Then ask those questions and note the answers consistently at each viewing.

Everyone knows renting a movie is about 20% of the cost of buying the same DVD. Hey, you can watch 5 great flicks for about the same cost as buying one. So does the same thing apply to other stuff? Sure it does. And there are times when renting definitely has the advantage.

If you’re not sure your new acquisition will be fit you well then it may make sense to take a trial run. Sure that convertible looks really cute on you? But where will you put the suitcase or the cat-carrier? Better to try it on for a few weeks to see what the downsides may be. Ditto that expensive camera or sports equipment. How about that new gaming console?

My girlfriend, Jazz, decided against buying a car after we had the rent versus own chat. Turns out that since Jazz lives in the city and can get around just fine on transit, she’s way better off renting when she needs a car for longer jaunts. It’s also far more cost-effective for beginner skiers to initially rent equipment. It gives you a chance to hone your skills without brutalizing your own gear. And after you’ve mastered the basics, you can “try-on” more expensive gear to get a real feel for different lengths, styles and makes. When you go to buy your own stuff it’ll be an informed decision.

If you’re likely to use your new acquisition only a couple of times, then renting makes more sense than owning.  Think power-washers, carpet steam-cleaners, camping gear, and myriad tools and equipment. That treadmill sitting under all those clothes might also fall into this category, even if that wasn’t your intent. And that time-share you bought… well, maybe it wasn’t the deal you though it would be.

And then there are those special occasions when you want to live large but your wallet doesn’t have what it takes. Rather than buying on credit, you could rent that designer dress. Hey, if you want to tool around in a vintage car with the top down and you’ve got the daily rate, make your dream come true.

Before you decide if renting or buying makes more sense, do the math. Figure out what the item’s cost per use will be before you bring it home permanently. Sure, that steam cleaner is on sale, but if you only use it two or three times it was no bargain. Before you whip out your credit card, divide the purchase cost of the item by the number of times that you expect to use it in a given time period. ?Knowing an item’s cost per use will help you to see whether renting or buying is the better financial move.

There are some things you should avoid renting. If you’re planning to rent-to-own, you’re likely going to end up paying double or triple the cost. So when I’m talking about “renting” is for temporary use, not a way to have everything you can’t wait to get your sticky little fingers on.

Sometimes it’s tough to find a place to rent, or shipping costs are prohibitive so renting locally is the only way to go. If you’re determined to have that jukebox for your honey’s 50th birthday bash, you may have to shop hard to find what you’re looking for. But you may be surprised at what’s available and how much less expensive it can be.

When it comes to renting, make sure you know the rules before you put down your money. Does the price you’ve been quoted include everything? Very often set-up costs are separate. Find out what happens if the item you’re renting is damaged while in your possession. Insurance may be offered to offset your liability, but if it isn’t, see if your credit card company offers rental insurance or if it will be covered under your home policy. If you’re trying on with the intent to possibly buy, see if you can buy the item at a discount once you’ve rented. And if you’re done with your rental sooner than you expected to be, can you get a refund on your rental fee?

One of the questions I am asked over and over is how much a person should be spending on groceries. I can’t answer that question because I don’t know. You have to decide what a “reasonable” amount of money is. It’s your money! And it’s your belly.

I did ask this community, “How much do you spend on groceries a month?”

Of the over 500 people who answered this question:

• almost 20% said less than $300,
• 53% said between $300-$600 a month,
• 19% said between $600-$900, and
• about 8% said more than $900 a month.

How much you are spending is affected by all sorts of things including where you live, how many people you’re feeding and what your dietary restrictions may be.  Stats Can considers the average household to be 2.5 people, and the average annual food expenses for a Canadian family is about $500-$600 a month.

While using coupons is one way to save money, we Canadians (at least at this site) aren’t really a couponing bunch. Only 30% of yous guys say you often or always shop with a coupon; 52% do so occasionally and the rest can’t much be bothered.

How much you spend can also be reduced by a little time spent meal-planning. But only 25% of you always make a meal plan. 13% never do. And the rest of you kinda… or maybe you just don’t want to admit you don’t.

You do love your plastic! When I asked, “What is your primary means of payment when you shop?” you said:

• 39%  Credit card, but I pay it off in full
• 4%  Credit card, and I carry a balance
• 12%  Debit card, but I’m in sometimes in overdraft
• 27%  Debit card, but I’m never overdrawn
• 18% Cash

I’m heartened to see all the people who are not using credit to fill the gap!

Loads of you are driving by the drive-thru, maybe because you’re making it yourself now that you’re such smart shoppers. A whopping 41% of you say you spend nothing on take-out coffee/tea each week and 26% of you claim to spend less than $5 a week. Really? I wonder how Timmies and Starbucks are making so much money since only  9% of y’all say you spend more than $15 a week.

Of course, we’re a self-selecting set of smarty-pants in this community. Many of us have bought the message: Live Within Your Means. Now we have to get busy spreading the word to those who still need help.

What do you do to share your knowledge with friends and family? Do they listen? What do you think it’d take to penetrate their shell of complacency or denial?

Even from within the fashion industry, there are people who are outraged at the way consumers are manipulated. Tomas Maier who is the creative director of Bottega Veneta is quoted in the New Yorker:

“The It Bag is a totally marketed bullshit crap[...] You make a bag, you put all the components in it that you think could work, you send it out to a couple of celebrities, you get the paparazzi to shoot just when they walk out of their house. You sell that to the cheap tabloids, and you say in a magazine that there’s a waiting list. And you run an ad campaign at the same time..”

And those with an undeveloped sense of who they are, or fragile egos, those who are trying to replicate what they see in order to pretend to a life they actually cannot afford, eat it up.

Designer labels were once the domain of the wealthy, except in outlet stores or resale shops. Easy access to credit meant that people could buy crap with a label and still pay their rent. If they had to choose, I wonder how many would have chosen to spend their monthly food allowance on a high-priced brand? But they didn’t. They could have it all, and they did. And now as disposable income is eaten by monthly payments, people are beating their breasts and wailing about the mess they’ve made.

So why were (are) people willing to go into debt for the dubious pleasure of saying that they own a specific brand? Could the lure of the brand label be more than just a case of Wannabe Wonderful?

From the Institute of Education at National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan comes research that demonstrates brand matters to people’s egos.  And it’s not just the young who are susceptible.  In one experiment, seniors were asked to compose resumes on iMacs, some with generic keyboards and some with Apple accessories. Y’know what? Those assigned to the computers with generic accessories expected to make less ($976) than those who used the Apple accessories ($1,071). Whazzup with that?

In a second experiment, after completing complicated dating profiles, students were given the phone number of their “match” and a cell phone in which the battery was dead. Researchers gave half the students a generic replacement battery and the other half a brand-name battery. After the five-minute phone calls, students were asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being “least attractive” to 7 being “very attractive”) how they thought their matches would rate them. Those using the generic product rated their attractiveness at an average of 3.7; the brand-name group rated themselves at 4.6.

Have we become so brand-focused that the kind of battery we use or the label on our socks really impact our perceptions of ourselves? Wow. And how do we protect our children from this phenomenon? I know I don’t want either of my kids to believe that they can buy a sense of self.  I want that sense of who they are to come from what they achieve and how they interact with the world. I want them to know who they are. I want them to be happy… and I want their stuff to play no role in defining them.

So far I’ve been lucky. I haven’t really seen any sign of brand-hounding in my kids. Maybe it’s because I’m not a brand-hound. I know that some brands offer better value but I weigh that value against the cost and what it is I’m trying to achieve. I might use a brand as a short-cut because the brand has served me well in the past, but I’m never a slave to it. And that’s the lesson I want to my children to learn.

———

The winners from Thursday and Friday are Bedalia and kandfamily. I’ve sent your emails off so you should be getting a notification shortly.

From Stanford comes a new set of studies that talk about how shopping can lead to more shopping. It seems that buying that fateful first item may open the shopping floodgates.

People were given the opportunity to buy discounted items from the researchers as compensation for their participation in the study. Some people were offered a light bulb, others received something more relevant to their needs like an educational CD. This was to vary how likely people were to buy the first item. It came as no surprise that people who received a light bulb were less likely to buy it compared to those who received the CD. Then folks had the chance to buy a second item: a keychain.

Turns out, the people who bought the CD – something they wanted — were more likely to buy the keychain even though the second item was completely unrelated to the first. Turns out shopping is a two-stage process:

1. People deliberate about a purchase, weighing cost and benefits, the degree to which they need the item, and so on.
2. Once the deliberation is over and the buying begins, a subtle psychological mechanism comes into play and a roller coaster of shopping can begin.

That first buy creates what the researchers call “shopping momentum.”

Most people don’t have a clue that this is happening to them. Outside of stores, people think rationally. Inside stores, a whole different dynamic comes into play and people may be triggered to shop MORE by the sheer act of shopping. That’s why smart stores put momentum starters at the front of the store; you know, those small items it’s easy to pick up, which don’t require a lot of deliberation. Those little buys get you on a shopping roll. It’s also why smart retailers use “loss leaders” or products they sell at a deep discount to get you into the store. They know that when you pick up those 24 rolls of toilet paper for a buck fifty, you’re going to have opened your shopping floodgates and buy all the other stuff at full price.

So are there ways to slow down your shopping momentum? Indeed there may be. It seems that when you must open two separate wallets, envelopes or other containers for your money, you’re more likely to think twice before jumping on the shopping bandwagon. That’d make a good case for not filling your basket and checking out all at once, but buying smaller loads of stuff at a time. It also could help your case if you put the cash you intend to spend into an envelope (and write your list on the front) before heading off to the store. You’re less likely to dip back into your wallet for impulse purchases.

Take the last 2 pairs of yoga pants I bought. Last purchased a couple of years ago and worn ALL THE TIME, the ones I have were looking a little ratty.  So I loaded up my online cart with the two new pairs that I wanted and then went away for a day. And another day. And another day. Eventually, almost a week later I came back to the cart. Yes, I did want those yoga pants.

This doesn’t always translate into an online purchase. Sometimes I like to shop for whatever it is I’m considering in person so I can touch and smell and experience the item before I buy. Sometimes I decide that the things in my cart were “impulse” purchases that, after careful consideration, I don’t really need or want. Then I just delete them.

Heaps of things can influence your desire to impulse shop.  According to research, 88% of all impulse purchases are made because the item is on sale. Yup, just the idea that you may be getting a bargain is enough to make you dig into your wallet. Thing is, if you’re responding on impulse, how can you possibly know if you are getting a good deal? And if you’re responding to a percentage off, what does that mean in real dollars you perceive that you’ve saved versus the very real dollars you’ve spent?

It’s not just the numbers or words on the sale sign that’ll grab your attention. Color can draw you in and keep you focused. Strong contrasts, like black and yellow, are key. In fact, bright yellow has been proven to be the most visible colour, and when we see black and yellow together, we have an instinctive reaction — an ancient collective memory – that keeps us paying attention.

Even your means of transportation can impact your impulse purchase. Not surprising really? We might be willing to fork over money and lighten our wallets, we’re far less willing to carry our stuff. That’s why shoppers who arrive by car instead of on foot are 44% more likely to make an unplanned purchase.

Emotions play a huge role in our desire to impulse buy. If we’re angry, stressed, guilty or bored, we’re way more likely to buy something we never expected to buy. No doubt that’s why instead of buying useful or necessary stuff, impulse shoppers buy things that put them in a better mood.

And you know that old adage, “Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach?” doesn’t just apply to grocery shopping.

At the National University of Singapore researcher Xiuping Li had participants shop in a room with an unscented candle or in a room with a cookie-scented candle. The women exposed to the yummy smelling candle made more unplanned purchases. In fact 50% more women made purchases in the cookie room even though both groups were told that they had a tight budget. It seems stimulating the appetite causes people to crave immediate gratification, even if the actions aren’t in their best interest.

When you realize you need something and then set out to get it — when you have something in mind that you already know you want to buy — that’s purposeful shopping. Sometimes you realize it at home when you realize that you need something you don’t have. Sometimes seeing something in a store triggers the idea. If you scratch the itch in the store, it’s an impulse buy. If you recognize the need away from the temptation to shop, it’s what psychologists call “problem recognition” and you’re much more likely to shop smart.

That’s where sleeping on it comes into play.

If you walk away from the idea of the buy, giving your brain enough time to weigh the actual benefits against the actual costs (money and missed future opportunities), you’re moving from impulse shopping to problem recognition (and satisfaction).  Well done!

Me first. Here goes.

The biggest and bestest tip I have for keeping your shopping on track is to use a list. Whether you use a Grocery List to stop you from impulse buying a bunch of stuff you really don’t need, or you use a Wants List to prioritize the things you’d like to buy yourself, a list is gold. The rules are simple. If what you want to buy isn’t on the list, you can’t buy it. You can put it on the list and go home, and then go back out again, assuming you have the money to pay for it. But you’ve got to wait a specific amount of time – 48 hours, 2 weeks, a month – so that the purchase becomes one that has been planned and isn’t simply reactive.

Right behind the list comes the One-in-one-out Rule.  You really want new wine glasses since you’re down to an amalgamation of vessels you’ve collected over the years. This one is easy. You buy yourself new glasses and get rid of the old stuff. But the rule also applies to shoes, dresses, books, DVDs, EVERYTHING! So before you can bring something new into the house, you have to figure out what you’re going to get rid of. No cheating: you’re not allowed to buy a big-screen TV and get rid of that horrible picture your SIL bought you. It has to be a comparable thing you choose to part with. Hey, that’ll give you pause to think, won’t it?

Ultimately I’ve found over time that the things that have brought me the most pleasure aren’t the things I’ve bought – though I have a few things I like a lot – but the things I’ve done. Sharing an experience with a friend or with one of my kids brings me far greater joy than picking up yet one more thing I’m gonna have to dust. (I hate dusting!) And doing things – learning to knit, cooking dinner with friends, sitting on a beach with Alex or Malcolm watching the little kids dig in the sand – brings me far more pleasure than shopping.

Okay, those are my three: the list, the one-in-one-out rule and prioritizing experiences over stuff. Now it’s your turn.  How do you counteract consumerism? Do you miss shopping? And how do you find living in a world that still loves to shop when you’re trying not to?

The gap goes beyond the fact that sellers want to get the best price while buyers want to pay the least they must. There are other factors at work that can affect your decision-making when it comes to setting the price of something you’re ready to part with for money.

The very fact that we own a something means that “that something” has value to us… value that’s greater than to the person who is only thinking about buying it. Yup, we actually develop “relationships” with our stuff. Uh boy. And those relationships make us believe that the value of our stuff is higher than it is for the person who has to lay out good money to get it.

Those relationships we form with our stuff (that camera you used to take pictures of your children, those vinyl records you listen to as you made-out in the basement) also make us focus on what we’re losing (the stuff) instead of what we’re gaining (the money). And the longer we’ve owned that stuff, the stronger the bonds. So we set the bar (price) high, because if we’re gonna part with our fabulous stuff, by golly-gosh someone’s going to have to make it worth our while.

The effort we put into our stuff also increases the value to us. So that old battered table we bought in a garage sale for a buck-ninety-two and lovingly sanded and then waxed has a lot of sweat equity in it, and we want that back in cold hard cash. This is one reason why people who reno their own homes (or act as their own general contractors) find it so hard to price their homes according to the market. “But my home is better than al the other ones on the street. Look at all the work we put into it.” Ya know what? Nobody cares how long it took you to sand that table, or how many hours you put into refinishing your floors. They’re far more likely to notice the spots where the sanding is uneven or your horrible taste in furniture.

It doesn’t matter that some jeweler appraised your grandma’s engagement ring at $2,500, if the most anyone will give you to take the ring off your hands is $250 that’s what the ring is worth. The same goes for the coin collection, the piece of art you bought with your first husband, and the beautiful antique cabinet you found in a small antique store and lovingly refinished.

If you can get someone to imagine that they already own your stuff – if you can make ‘em feel that it’s their stuff – that can work in your favour when you set the price. That’s the psychology behind all those “If you’re not happy, return it in 30 days” offers. They know you’re never going to bring it back. Having driven the car, slept on the mattress or played with the new console, the loss of returning it is too much to bear.

This is also the theory behind making your home look like Not Your Home, but like the home the buyer would like to live in. Enter all the house-stagers who put your stuff in storage and fill your house with furniture, art, flowers and the smell of baking cookies. If they can get a potential buyer to see him/herself living in the space they’re more than halfway to closing the deal.

Making you want the stuff of someone you admire is another trick of the trade. That’s why brand name stuff is perceived to be of so much more value than the run of the mill stuff you can buy at a local store. And if someone famous that you admire is wearing it, well… It isn’t really about the better quality. And it isn’t really about the fact that it exactly suits your needs. It’s the fact that you can imagine yourself as so-and-so, living even for moments in the glow of their wonderfulness.

The next time you want to sell something, find a way to link someone famous to whatever it is you’re trying to dispose of. That’s probably the only way you’ll every get what you really think it’s worth.