Sleep on It

Whenever I have a big purchase to make, I practice (online), and sleep on it for a few days.  I find that if I load up my cart online but don't cash out, and then sleep on it a while, I can decide with fresh eyes how much I really want what I've put in my cart, and whether I'm happy with the price.

Take the last 2 pairs of yoga pants I bought. Last purchased a couple of years ago and worn ALL THE TIME, the ones I have were looking a little ratty.  So I loaded up my online cart with the two new pairs that I wanted and then went away for a day. And another day. And another day. Eventually, almost a week later I came back to the cart. Yes, I did want those yoga pants.

This doesn't always translate into an online purchase. Sometimes I like to shop for whatever it is I'm considering in person so I can touch and smell and experience the item before I buy. Sometimes I decide that the things in my cart were "impulse" purchases that, after careful consideration, I don't really need or want. Then I just delete them.

Heaps of things can influence your desire to impulse shop.  According to research, 88% of all impulse purchases are made because the item is on sale. Yup, just the idea that you may be getting a bargain is enough to make you dig into your wallet. Thing is, if you're responding on impulse, how can you possibly know if you are getting a good deal? And if you're responding to a percentage off, what does that mean in real dollars you perceive that you've saved versus the very real dollars you've spent?

It's not just the numbers or words on the sale sign that'll grab your attention. Color can draw you in and keep you focused. Strong contrasts, like black and yellow, are key. In fact, bright yellow has been proven to be the most visible colour, and when we see black and yellow together, we have an instinctive reaction — an ancient collective memory – that keeps us paying attention.

Even your means of transportation can impact your impulse purchase. Not surprising really? We might be willing to fork over money and lighten our wallets, we're far less willing to carry our stuff. That's why shoppers who arrive by car instead of on foot are 44% more likely to make an unplanned purchase.

Emotions play a huge role in our desire to impulse buy. If we're angry, stressed, guilty or bored, we're way more likely to buy something we never expected to buy. No doubt that's why instead of buying useful or necessary stuff, impulse shoppers buy things that put them in a better mood.

And you know that old adage, "Don't go shopping on an empty stomach?" doesn't just apply to grocery shopping.

At the National University of Singapore researcher Xiuping Li had participants shop in a room with an unscented candle or in a room with a cookie-scented candle. The women exposed to the yummy smelling candle made more unplanned purchases. In fact 50% more women made purchases in the cookie room even though both groups were told that they had a tight budget. It seems stimulating the appetite causes people to crave immediate gratification, even if the actions aren't in their best interest.

When you realize you need something and then set out to get it — when you have something in mind that you already know you want to buy — that's purposeful shopping. Sometimes you realize it at home when you realize that you need something you don't have. Sometimes seeing something in a store triggers the idea. If you scratch the itch in the store, it's an impulse buy. If you recognize the need away from the temptation to shop, it's what psychologists call "problem recognition" and you're much more likely to shop smart.

That's where sleeping on it comes into play.

If you walk away from the idea of the buy, giving your brain enough time to weigh the actual benefits against the actual costs (money and missed future opportunities), you're moving from impulse shopping to problem recognition (and satisfaction).  Well done!

Share this on Facebook


Share this on del.icio.us


Digg this!


Share this on LinkedIn


Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon


Tweet This!


Subscribe to the comments for this post?


Email this to a friend?