Money makes us feel good, but our compulsion to spend it is most often fueled by our feelings. You may swear you’ll stick to a budget while you are viewing your bank account online, but get yourself in the bright lights of a computer store, and you’ll most likely be responding to the adrenaline of pure shopping excitement.  Our tendency to spend begins as a craving, an appetite of want, even when we aren’t really hungry.  Stores know how to tempt your palate and get you to buy things you don’t need. There’s a definite psychology to marketing. Learn the Jedi-mind tricks of the shopping world, and you can better ward off their power to make better decisions that are right for you.

Make it a Tear Jerker.

Studies show that consumers are less likely to spend after watching a disgusting movie clip, but more likely to buy things when they feel sad and depressed.  Viewers who were shown weeper film clips, like that final scene of ET, were more likely to buy candy to feel better. Sadness has a funny way of driving us to change our circumstances. By getting rid of the old and introducing the new with an upcoming purchase, we feel like we are somehow purging our sadness. Unfortunately, that sadness will often return after we’ve grown tired of the thing we bought, even when we probably didn’t really need the item in the first place.

Bulk is Cheaper.

Stores try to sell you the idea that if you buy more for cheaper, you are actually paying less. Unless you are the comic book store guy from the Simpson’s, however, you most likely don’t need 100 tacos for $100. Some sales give you so much of what you need that it isn’t really a good deal. Most often, it’s a product that you don’t really need a lot of in the first place.  You should first do the math and really see if it’s much of a deal. You should also consider whether you really need that much of an item. A sixteen-pound bag of gummy bears can’t really be good for anybody.

Buy Now or Forever Hold Your Peace.

Stores try to deliver ultimatums with the subliminal suggestion that if you don’t buy now, you’ll lose your chance of a lifetime.  Smart market strategists play on consumer’s limited time and emotions to trick them into buying things they don’t really need. Retailers will keep a line of one product on the shelves, only to replace it with another product a short while later. The reality is that the shelves are always changing, but if you really need something, you’ll be able to find it somewhere. Plus, with the Internet, anything you need is a simple keyword search away.

A Favor for a Favor.

When we’re given a favor, it’s a natural response to return it. This works well when it comes to friends, family and neighbors, but watch out when a good deed comes from a retailer. They are out to make money, so naturally what they offer will be small relative to what they want to have you spend. Take free offers, but only buy if it’s really in your best interest. Remember, free samples at the grocery store make a great Sunday snack, but who says you need all that food in your fridge? Take the free stuff, but then skip out when they hit you up for a purchase.

It’s All Psychology.

Marketing comes down to mind tricks. Catch them at their own game. When you are aware of the common marketing ploys, you’ll be less susceptible to them. Watch your wallet. It’s got teeth. Don’t get bit by your own overspending habits.

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