Smart Shopping 101: Goodbye Debts, Hello Savings

Smart Shopping 101: Goodbye Debts, Hello Savings

Manila has plenty of shopping malls which are always mobbed even on weekdays especially during sale seasons. Admit it, malls are one of our favorite hangouts where we dine, get beauty services, and shop for groceries and personal stuff.

Malls are always overcrowded especially during summer, because people want to be in cool places to avoid the sweaty and dizzy feeling. But this short time pleasure could lead to unexpected shopping that could result to financial distress. While some may genuinely be needing something, but they end up purchasing everything they see. Avoid suffering the consequences of unexpected and unmanageable shopping with these smart shopping tips:

1. Assess the need

When you find a good stuff, ask yourself if you really need it or whether you only want it now. There’s a huge difference in buying what you need and buying what you just want. Evaluate if you have this thing already which is still usable. Ask yourself if you really need this pair of floral flip-flops you will use on your upcoming beach getaway or you just want it by now.

2. You can’t have everything you like

Even the richest people can’t have everything they want. You need to keep this in mind when you feel the urge to buy a lot despite not having enough budget for shopping. Leave your atm and credit cards at home and just take enough money to buy the things you need. You can like everything without having to own all of them.

3. Think it over and over

When you think of buying stuff for one time use only, don’t buy it. Maybe your friends have what you need. Instead of buying, just borrow from them. If you temporary need a thing, shopping malls aren’t the primary place to go to, but rather, your friends’ pads. If you are buying a furniture or an appliance, think first if you still have a space for it in your home. Do you really need to replace your old closet with a new one?

4. Don’t buy just because it’s on sale

Price isn’t the only thing to consider when shopping. Doing this makes it hard for you to resist sale. You would be getting great prices yet low-quality products. I don’t mean to generalize, but mostly sale items are lower in quality. This would make you shop for more because you cannot expect these products to last. So instead of buying 10 pairs of shoes, opt for one or two quality pairs. Don’t regret items you would’ve bought on sale, because you would be more regretful when you couldn’t wear them anymore. As a smart shopper, I do believe that quality is better than quantity.

5. Pay with cash

I used to shop for multiple items on my favorite clothing stores using my credit cards. Although I know, I shopped a lot before, I still get shocked when I receive my bills. So now, I leave my credit and atm cards at home and pay cash. This way, I can control my spending and avoid debts and huge interest from using credit cards. And also paying cash makes you more aware of the exchange, so you’re more likely to think it through before you buy a new stuff.

Don’t go hysterical over sale and shopping for you may end up in financial distress. And the worst part is, you won’t see it coming!

Are you an impulsive shopper? Are there more shopping tips you want to add? Sound off in the comments below!

(Photo credit: Touchstone pictures)