This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see the disclaimer here.
Did you ever go into Target to get just one thing and come out with a whole cart full? This is called the Target Effect. First, they snag you with the one dollar deals right when you walk in the store, and then you get swayed by the beautiful, limited edition Chip and Joanna throw pillows and the exclusive Chrissy Teigen Cravings kitchenware as you are walking to housewares to get a light bulb. As you head on over to the kids section to buy some diapers you walk past the most adorable baby outfit and then get sucked into the kids clearance clothes. Everything is 50% off and your kids grow like weeds, they might need more clothes soon. As you walk back towards the register, you spot some cute looking shoes and they are only $5! When you glance up, you notice all the new summer clothes. You’ll just take a quick peek at what is trending. Now that your cart is starting to fill up, you wonder if there is enough room for toilet paper. You might as well stock up since you are here, but it requires you to walk past the seasonal section and all the cute Easter stuff is out. You’ll just get one thing…
Today’s Challenge: Avoid the Target Effect. I know myself, and for that reason, the best way for me to avoid buying a lot at is to stay out of the stores altogether. As much as I love strolling the aisles, I know what needs to be done. Here are some other tips to cut back on unnecessary purchases:
- If you have more self-control then me, then you could try using a very specific list of what you need in combination with self-talk before you head into a store. Tell yourself over and over that you will stick to the list.
- If you come across an item that isn’t on your list, pause and ask yourself, do I need it or love it? If the answer is no to both, then put it down and walk away.
- Even if your response to the above question is that you love it, try to leave it on the shelf and tell yourself that you will come back and get it at the end of your trip if you still want it. Chances are your brain will keep processing and figure out that you really don’t want it, or you might forget about it altogether.
- Make a 3 day rule. This is a good one for online shopping. Put the item in consideration into your virtual cart and then wait three days before buying. When I do this, a lot of times I come back and wonder why I wanted it in the first place, or I will forget to come back to order it because I don’t really need any of the items. If it is really something you wanted, you will be happy to place the order. This is delayed gratification.
- Leave your credit card at home. If you budget and only bring cash to the store for the things you need you will not be tempted to charge more.
- For kids that are begging for a toy, tell them to write it down when you get home and if they still want it at birthday or holiday time, then the purchase will be considered. This is sort of like the wish list we started at the beginning of this challenge. Half the time, my kids forget about the item by the time we get home. If one kid keeps asking for the same thing over and over, I encourage them to do extra chores or save allowance to buy on their own.
→ Back to the Plastic Challenge Homepage
