Money tricks: how the brain deceives us while shopping

We all buy things from time to time that we don’t really need. Sometimes to indulge your whims is not scary, if everything is under control. If you suffer from impulsive shopping and subsequent regret, this is how to properly tune your brain before you go to the store.

Understand how the brain works against you Obviously, stores use all sorts of tricks so that you part with money, and the brain plays along with them. Here is the most important thing to pay attention to:

Color.Color makes products attractive, catchy, but colors are also used on labels with prices. The color red stands out and can push you to action, which is why it is so often used in advertising. When you see red, remember what they're trying to do to your brain with that color.

Navigation.Shops force you to wander past what you don’t need to find what you need. Make a list in advance, stick to it clearly and imagine that there is nothing else in the store.





Touches.Shops place items they want to sell in easily accessible places and encourage touching them. Don't! Once you have something in your hands, you are more likely to buy it because your brain has suddenly taken it over. Don't play with what's in the window.

Smells and sounds. In stores often plays classics or cheerful music. It makes you happier, increases excitement, and familiar songs inspire comfort. Pleasant smells, in turn, calm the brain. A happy, comfortable brain is a dangerous combination when shopping. Remember that.

Shops use many other tricks, such as relying on your bias: we tend to believe information that matches our previous beliefs, and write everything else off. Advertising builds on this, making us forget the facts. Another tactic is the bait effect: we think that the product is a bargain because it stands next to another product that costs much more.

Make a list of everything you have and deal with it First you need to determine what “unnecessary” means. The first step is to make a list of everything you have. That's all. It sounds creepy, but you have to collect data to reprogram the brain. You will see what you already have and what you should never buy again, and what you should never have bought. Divide the list into categories and be honest with yourself.

Need: Absolutely necessary every day.

Sometimes you have to. It is not necessary every day, but it is necessary periodically.

I want: You bought it not because you needed it, but because you wanted it.

Trash: You don’t even have a clear explanation for why you have it, and you already know it’s time to get rid of it.

Now look at the “sometimes necessary” and “want” lists. We need to go through them again, because you must have cheated somewhere. Ask yourself three questions:

- When was the last time I used this?

- When will I use this again?

- Does it bring joy?

Answer honestly. If the item is used infrequently or does not bring joy, put it in the “garbage”. And before you get rid of it, take pictures of all these things together. And remember them.

Calculate how much the “garbage” cost you. Now think about the other costs. Time is also a resource and a finite one. How much time did you spend on these things? Figure it out and write it down. Think about how you could spend that time. This is not to shame you, but to convey information to your brain in an understandable way.

List all the intangible things that bring you joy Write down on a separate sheet what brings you happiness – but what you can’t buy. No matter how happy it is, it’s just a smile. What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning and move on. Carry this list with you and, when you first want to buy something, get it out and remind yourself why this purchase is probably not necessary.

Spend a day in the park, enjoy the sounds and views of the outside world, go to the forest with friends, drive along a road that has not yet been driven. Show yourself how much pleasure you can have without buying anything. If you can’t get anywhere right now, just walk down the street without a wallet – when you know there’s nothing to buy, you start seeing the world differently.

Come up with a personal test “Should I buy this?” Every purchase must pass this test, in compiling which you must take into account all the data already collected. Questions could be, for example:

- Is this a planned purchase?
- Will it ever be on the junk list?
- Where will I keep this?
- Is this in my budget?
- Why do I want/need this?

Consider your weaknesses in these matters—for example, that you make a lot of impulse purchases or often feel regret about what you bought. Ask yourself what specific problem your purchase solves. published



Credit Patrick Allan



P.S. And remember, just changing our consumption – together we change the world!

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Source: ideanomics.ru/? p=3925