Oct 8th, 2008
Ask the Readers: Does the Very Act of Going to a Store Make You Spend More?
One of my friends is a workaholic nurse (people think I’m a workaholic, but I have days off!) who works seven days a week. She’s also one of those come-in-early-and-stay-late kind of people. Why does she do it? Besides the money (nurses get paid pretty well), she says that it makes her more frugal, because if you never walk into a store, you never spend money there.
I’ve spent a little bit of time considering that statement. I guess it’s true, although if you really need to work in order to keep yourself away from a store, I’m wondering about your discipline. But still, there’s lots of traps every time you enter a store. Just thinking about yesterday, when I stopped by Safeway to get a friend of mine who just had a baby some flowers, as I approached the cashier, I was assaulted by mints, tabloids, and gift cards.
I can understand how people will spend more with these kinds of tactics going on.
What do you think? Does just going to a store make you spend more money?
I think to some extent this is true, although when I’m in a time of money pinching, it’s easier to resist those kinds of temptations.
I’m not a huge spender, but I’m more likely to pick up small things that add up if I step foot in my favorite stores, so I just try not to go if I’m cutting back. What I’ve actually stopped doing is clicking on sale emails I get from my favorite retailers - why be tempted?
I know this is true for me. I’m working on a post about “Why I Gave Up Target for Lent,” - you wouldn’t believe how much money I saved. There are always such good bargains and great items to buy, so I just can’t go.