The 5 Worst Shopping Habits You Should Avoid

Anyone can make shopping mistakes like splurging beyond one’s budget or going over the limit on credit card charges. If you have developed bad shopping habits, your finances could be ruined. However, if you avoid common shopping mistakes, you can save time and money especially on holiday events like Christmas or Black Friday. Check how much money you can save by changing some of the worst consumer shopping habits.

Always Buying the Latest Merchandise

You should always consider waiting a couple of weeks before buying newly released items before buying anything. If you wait a bit, you can save a lot of money since latest merchandise usually goes on sale after a couple weeks of release. Unless you must have or need the latest gadget, wait some time before buying it for substantial savings.

Credit Card Splurges

New credit card offers are tempting and may cause you to spend beyond your means. For example, avoid store cards, which come with higher interest rates for you to use at particular stores. You should only buy with credit cards if you carry no balance to avoid falling into unmanageable debt that may even hurt your credit scores.

Shopping on Impulse

Do you really need to buy all clothing items that you like? Consider this before buying merchandise that you don’t really need like an extra jacket for cold weather during summer. Before purchasing any clothing item, think about how many times you’ll see it to avoid wasting money. If you don’t think that you’ll use an item more than once, don’t buy it.

Not Using the Fitting Room

Spending time at the fitting room is bothersome to some, but it’s the best way to know if a clothing item will fit. If you skip the fitting room, you might find yourself going back to the store to exchange the item for a correct sized one. Buying the wrong sizes is something that you simply shouldn’t do. Remember that buying clothes that fit will provide the best look and comfort for you.

Not Keeping Receipts

Always keep receipts for all your purchases in case exchanges or returns must be made. You could even get discounts by keeping receipts since many stores honor promotions for items purchased before an offer took effect. In addition, read the back of any receipts that you keep to know the terms and conditions for returning items. Depending on the store, you might not be able to return an item without the receipt. Store away all receipts until the return dates expire.

Bad shopping habits can cost you thousands of dollars per year on unnecessary expenses. You should make a budget and stick to pre-determined items to buy on a monthly basis. Avoid buying things simply because you must have them, buy what you really need instead. If you can change your shopping habits, you can save money and build up savings or retirement funds. Control your buying behavior to a more stable financial life.

Read more:

• Why You Should Switch and Save With Your Credit Cards