Recession or not, people still love a good sale. But is a sale really a sale? First off, most stores markup their prices at least 150%. I know at Shoppers Drug Mart, their markups are crazy! Did you know that their Life Brand products (their own brand), is marked up by at least 100%? Yeah I get that all stores need to a make a profit and sell enough to cover their overhead costs, but a sale is never really a sale.
Many women feel that when you buy something on sale, you’re actually saving money. The Confessions of a Shopaholic’s main character, Rebecca Bloomwood, also said that too. That’s how she got into a huge shopping debt. 
Here are some sneaky ways sales get you to spend your hard earned dollars:
1. Good old fear that you might not get it if you wait too long. If it’s full price, you know that there are plenty in stock and that people wont be hurried to buy it. But if its on sale, usually there is limited quantity, and you worry people will get your size and you’d be out of luck. Worst ones? The 24 hour sales. You think that because you only have 24 hours, you have limited time, which makes you more nervous and you make more impulsive decisions.
2. Everyone loves that good sale, and there is this sense of assumed value of the product. If a pair of nice shoes original cost $200, and its on sale for $100, you think you got a great deal – $100 bucks off. But is the shoes really worth $200 in the first place? If the shoes were originally $100, you probably would think a little more logically before you purchased it. Sales always make people more anxious and impatient, and emotions running a little high, you’re more likely to make that impulsive decision. 
3. This is more geared to the men. Men hate choices, especially about things that don’t concern them. Clothing happens to be one. They rather go in and get out with their purchases. When they see too many choices, they get frustrated, and also they don’t necessarily care about the latest fashion pieces. So when they see sales rack, they see that all the sales are cornered and selections are limited and it makes it easier for them to go in and select what they want.
4. Like I said before, getting something on sale seems like you are saving money. Coupons have become even more popular since we’ve hit recession, and people buy surplus of items when on sale, in fear that the sale won’t come back. They end up stocking on things that they may never eventually use or consume.
You can read rest of the article here: Psychology Today
Here are some of my tips to avoid over-spending when a sales comes up:
1. Go shopping when there isn’t a sale, and make a mental note on which items you liked, what the price was, and sleep on it. If you worry about buying something, leave your credit card and debit card at home. Make sure you try it on and see if it looks good on you and if it would fit and match with your current wardrobe. You can then get it when it does go on sale and only buy the ones you wanted from before.
By sleeping on it, you might decide that perhaps that item really isn’t right for you. If it’s clothing, take a picture with you in it, and take it home to see if it does look good or not. Mirrors, lighting and sales people aren’t your best friend in reality.
2. Only buy what you need. Honestly, everything goes on sale soon enough. Working retail, I have seen items go repeatedly on sale. There is no rush!
3. Don’t go anywhere with an empty stomach. When you’re hungry, you are likely to buy more things and more impulsively than ever. So have a snack before you go shopping…especially if you’re doing grocery store shopping.
4. Make a list of what you need before you go anywhere. It prevents you from buying things you do not need. If you do some impulse shopping, I suggest you write down how much you spent that day – including things you bought because you actually needed it. You’ll see what you could have really saved.
5. Finally, try using only cash when making purchases. This can help you see how much money you can really spend and what you have. Debit and credit cards are so easy to use and lose track of how much you spent because you have a card that swipes.
Shopping makes us happy because you bring home new and shiny things. But after awhile, you notice quite a few items you rarely used or wear, and that becomes just a waste…money you could have used to pay your mortgage, insurance, or heck could have saved in an investment.
If you are a woman and you love to shop for shoes and clothes, why not go to consignment stores where you can get great clothing and accessories that are gently used at fraction of the price, or swap clothes with friends. Make a party of it. Gather friends and bring along items you aren’t wearing often, or having worn in the last 6 months, and swap for other goodies. Trust me, if you haven’t worn something in the last 6 months, you probably won’t wear it ever again!
So save every penny as you can, and invest it. You’d be surprise how most of us throw money away without realizing it.
