Are You an Impulsive Shopper?

We live in a consumer culture. On a daily basis we are flooded with advertisements for products that we don’t necessarily need, but most of us want these products.  We are constantly awaiting the newest thing, the hottest item we can show off to our friends. The products we own make up our personal brand; they’re used as a direct representation of who we are to those around us. Not everyone feels the need to have the products they own reflect their social status, but for some this need to purchase items can lead to some serious financial consequences. Impulse purchases not only negatively affect your bank account, but it can affect your emotional well-being.

There are certain personality traits people possess that make them more susceptible to impulse purchasing. The majority tends to be more socially conscious or concerned about how others view them. This concern causes them to buy items they feel will make others see them in a positive light. Impulse buyers tend to suffer from anxiety, depression, or an emotional disorder that make it more difficult to control the urge to purchase impulsively. People who shop for fun or entertainment are often times attempting to purchase their happiness. Unfortunately when a person is impulsively buying items they don’t consider their actual need for the item or whether they can afford it.

Often times these impulse purchases lead to buyer’s remorse, which negatively affects the shopper and contradicts what they were trying to achieve in the first place. Not everyone that buys something on impulse has a serious problem controlling their spending. An impulse purchase is something we have all done once in our lives, and usually it doesn’t cause any catastrophic damage. However, people that routinely indulge on impulse are in danger of putting themselves into debt. The next time you find yourself picking up an item that you didn’t plan on purchasing take a minute to rethink why you want it. Remember that the instant gratification you receive will only satisfy you briefly, however keeping that money in your savings will do more good in the long run.

Written by: Sara Sunday