How to Start Buying Less Stuff

Be a wise shopper. Many purchases are made only on the emotional need. For instance, you must know that you should never go to a grocery store when you're hungry, because you will buy too much food or something that you never buy at all. The same applies to the stuff shopping, but this time it's not your hunger that's the enemy of your budget, but your mood. Don't go shopping when you're feeling blue or depressed. Spending money on clothes surely makes you feel better, but it's only in the short term, later your will be sorry for that purchase and the chances are strong that you will never use the thing you've bought.

Make lists. Whenever you go shopping, make lists of items you need to buy. The stuff that you want to buy, but don't really need, should be excluded from the list. If you think that you need a new bag, ask yourself, whether it's true. May be, you have some two or three old bags that you never use, and now your need is based only on your desire. Differentiate between the basic needs and your desires and you will save lots of money.

Never use coupons. You think that coupons let your save, because you buy stuff with a discount. However, coupons usually make you spend more! You look at the discount and think that it's a great opportunity to buy this thing, that you actually don't need. You just want it, and it's your spontaneous decision. Remember about the list? We never say that you shouldn't use coupons at all, look for ones that give you discounts on things that you really need.

Forget about loyalty points. Loyalty points make you spend more, just like coupons. You buy more, to get more points and then exchange them to cash or discount on anything from this shop. And the points that have an expiration date only add fuel to your shopping fire.

Opt for quality instead of quantity. Many people prefer to spend less now and have something that of a bad quality, and later buy ten more things to substitute the initial purchase. However, if you buy something that is more expensive but of a better quality, the time that you use it will be much longer.

No freebies. The word “free” always works in marketing. A free bottle of water makes you feel that you're obliged to the store that gives it to you, and you automatically buy something. Getting a free gift for the purchase that the consumers don't need at all is one of the ways to rationalize their unexpected expenditures that were beyond their budget. Remember, that many wise people can spend a fortune just to get the free gift.

Don't shop for sales. Buying something with a big discount makes you feel good, because you think that you win a prize. But actually the sales are nothing special at all, because everything is discounted at some point. The sales only make you buy the stuff just because the price was right, while the color, style or the size were wrong. So if you don't like the item and you don't need it, then don't buy it at all!