4 Offbeat Hacks To Stay Within Your Shopping Budget

November 22, 2017

One of my favorite parts of gift-giving is shopping for the perfect item, so avoiding the stores this time of year is not an option for me. To control my inner Santa, who’s prone to buying lots of “To: Me, From: Me” gifts, I’ve found some non-traditional hacks. Try them for yourself:

1. Calculate how many hours you’ll have to work

In the book Your Money Or Your Life, the authors describe the process of calculating your “true hourly wage,” where you add up ALL the time you spend related to work then divide it into your earnings. Beyond just time spent at work, add in the time you spend getting ready for work, commuting, answering emails after hours and even “vacating” work — it adds up to far more than the standard 80 hours we typically use.

When you’re tempted to buy something you hadn’t planned on, take a moment to figure out how many hours of work it will cost you. Suddenly a $25 sweater at Old Navy doesn’t sound so cheap when that means 3 more hours of work!

2. Go to yoga first

A Brigham Young study found that when you’re focused on physical balance (such as attempting tree pose in yoga), you’re more likely to weigh your shopping options and often choose the lower priced item. Don’t have time for yoga? Just wear high heels instead!

3. Only spend big bills

If you’re prone to rationalizing small purchases as “only” so much money, this one’s for you (those things add up). Go to the bank first (you’ll actually have to go inside to the teller) and get your shopping money in large bills — 50’s and 100’s. Psychologically, this will give you that moment to pause and think twice about an impulse buy, or even just that quick stop at Starbucks for a $6 latte. You will probably find yourself resistant to breaking a $50 bill for a cup full of sugar and might even think twice about a large purchase that requires you to lay out more than one bill.

4. Keep your hands to yourself

My ex used to work at the now-defunct Circuit City, and he was always telling me that one of the ways he got people to buy stuff was by suggesting that they pick it up and play with it. Another study backed that up, finding that merely touching an object creates perceived ownership, which makes you want to take that thing with you. If you’re serious about sticking to your list and not over-spending, keep your hands in your pockets or on your cart.

If your holiday rituals also include plunging headfirst in the bustle of the mall or the Magnificent Mile, try these tips and let me know how you do — I know I’ll be pulling out all the stops to enjoy the season without draining my bank account. Have some fun, but not so much that you’re hating yourself going into the New Year.