Impulse Spending/Buying

[Deleted]

I don't like think of myself as an impulsive spender of money.In fact,over the years,I have become more frugal,mostly because I don't have the money to buy what I like ,even if within some measure of my financial means.I don't use a credit card except to purchase where a credit card is necessary. I have zero credit card debt to my name.
I do however, find myself succumb to the almost uncontrollable urge to buy something that I don't necessarily need,but will rationalize and attempt to justify how I really should buy "it",what a great deal it is,especially if on sale,etc.
Yesterday,in the camera shop, I came dangerously close to purchasing a new improved,very nice camera,on sale.Had the woman waiting on me been a little bit longer in retrieving my order for something,I'm almost sure I would have impulsively bought the camera.
My one rational thought was,I haven't learned to use the camera I currently own adequately enough to acquire a newer improved one.(God,it was nice... .the sale goes on through today... :
Anyway,are you an impulsive buyer? Do you later regret buying the item,or continue to rationalize in your head the purchase and need for? What items do you have a "weak" spot for?

[Deleted]

I can be an impulsive buyer. Funny thing is I did almost exactly the same thing as you, Casi. I almost bought a brand new camera the other day, and decided at the last minute, that I didn't really need it. It would be nice to have, sure, but can I live without it? Yes I could.

Birthdays and Christmas time, I tend to over shop for my kids. And I pick up things that I think they will like, but if I had taken some time over it, would realize that no, they wouldn't.

Sales are a weakness for me, if I see an item half price, I tend to buy more than one, sometimes lots, even though I know it's not really necessary..

[spindrift]

Unless the temptation is extraordinary I am not an impulse buyer. I've been dithering for several years about buying a new laptop and a new camera.

[Deleted]

I went to the store a month ago to buy new batteries for my camera and came out with a new camera instead. But the idea had been ripening in my brain for some time, so it was more a question of jumping the hurdle rather than having an impulse.

[Deleted]

Fortunately,I hate shopping in general, with a few exceptions,book stores,record stores and of course, anything garden related. The garden nursery downfall has not been as much of a problem for many years because, although, I love to look, I prefer the challenge of growing/propagating on my own rather than spend the outrageous prices asked for.
Even antiques,which had I the money,I could get pretty crazy with, I can control.
I positively loathe malls and clothing stores and will avoid at great length. I would prefer a good hardware store any day of the week over most other stores.
(BTW,the camera sale is over,and no,I did not go and buy, bought a ticket to NYC instead!!
Now,there, I could do some spending!!!

[Deleted]

Damn. Looks like I'm going to have to buy a new camera anyway. I found out today, mine is broken, won't even close anymore, (maybe it's been dropped too many times!).

I'll have to start looking around for one, and I only just got used to this one.

Casi, me too. I love browsing around in hardware stores, so interesting! I could spend all day in one, just wondering what is used for what. And how it could come in useful.

[spindrift]

Kerouac - which camera did you buy?

[bazfaz]

I think Spindrift has a forgetful memory when it comes to the clothes she has bought and then returned the next day.

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2010 9:49:06 GMT spindrift said:

Kerouac - which camera did you buy?

It's a Panasonic DMC-T27 with an ultra wide angle Leica lens and a 12x zoom.

[spaceneedle]

I am more susceptible to impulse buying for others. I tend to shop year-round for gifts for various loved ones and friends, so if I see something that Aunt Arlene might like, I will buy it and put it away. For myself, I do more research and wait for bargains, generally. When I shop at home, I am much less likely to browse. I like to get into the store, get what I want and leave. When I travel, I have much more fun browsing and just looking for the sake of looking is more fun for some reason.

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2010 20:03:44 GMT kerouac2 said:

Mar 15, 2010 9:49:06 GMT spindrift said:

Kerouac - which camera did you buy?

It's a Panasonic DMC-T27 with an ultra wide angle Leica lens and a 12x zoom.

Can you post a photo of it, Kerouac ? ;D

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2010 20:07:48 GMT spaceneedle said:

For myself, I do more research and wait for bargains, generally. When I shop at home, I am much less likely to browse. I like to get into the store, get what I want and leave. .

I'm much the same way, when it comes to buying for myself. I just can never figure out the right thing to get for someone else, so it takes a lot longer.

[Deleted]

Yes, had I the money I would spend lots buying gifts for people,I see stuff all the time I would love to get for loved ones.
Shopping in Istanbul at the Grand Bazaar was one of the best shopping sprees I had ever been on and I could easily have spent more. I will go back someday...

[spaceneedle]

Mar 15, 2010 21:31:47 GMT casimira said:

Yes, had I the money I would spend lots buying gifts for people,I see stuff all the time I would love to get for loved ones.
Shopping in Istanbul at the Grand Bazaar was one of the best shopping sprees I had ever been on and I could easily have spent more. I will go back someday...

I look for bargains and find myself shopping much more carefully and smarter when I do it throughout the year. It is easy to get caught up in the holiday shopping frenzy. I hit sales throughout the year and put stuff away in a closet. If I need a gift for someone in a pinch, I can go there and find something.

[Kimby]

I never shop for clothing for myself except when shopping for my sisters for Christmas or birthday presents. Since we're all about the same size, I try on stuff for them.
As long as I have to get undressed in the store (which I detest) I grab a few things that catch my eye and often end up getting something for myself too.
Or instead.

[spindrift]

Baz is right (about my occasional impulse clothes buys); he has a better memory than mine ;D

[bixaorellana]

Mar 14, 2010 22:32:05 GMT deyana said:

Damn. Looks like I'm going to have to buy a new camera anyway. I found out today, mine is broken, won't even close anymore, (maybe it's been dropped too many times!).

Here is something strange -- I had the same problem with my little camera, a Samsung S630. I looked online, and that seems to be a common problem with that camera, along with a bad excess use of batteries. Since cameras here are really over-priced and there's little choice, I opted to have the camera repaired. So far, so good (this was almost a year ago), but here is the amazing thing -- ever since it was repaired, I've gotten really good mileage out of the batteries.

And the buying-related part: I really would like to have a better camera, but I'm glad I got that one repaired, rather than to go out and buy one out of desperation.

[Deleted]

hmm...that's an idea, but it was quite an inexpensive one, I imagine it wouldn't be worth the price it would cost to fix it. But I'll look into it. Thanks.

[Deleted]

My brother had a fiancee who used to impulse buy for my mother and myself. She had great taste and would often surprise us with lavish gifts. Oft times,the clothing she bought my mother however,my mother didn't care for,but I did. My mother and I being the same size ,I would acquire. She is long gone from my brother and our lives...I miss the gifts.

[Deleted]

I bought a flat screen TV for 100€ for a friend in need recently. I told him that it had just fallen into the shopping cart at Carrefour.

[Deleted]

I am very glad I did not buy the camera I almost did impulsively. I saw a better one on sale advertised cheaper.

[spindrift]

I nearly bought an environment-friendly shopping bag (that was also very trendy) at the Conran shop (made in Cambodia)....but having picked it up I remembered what Baz had said about me on this thread and so I put it down and saved myself £25.

[Deleted]

It would have been very friendly for the environment of Conran stock holders. It probably cost 20 pence to make in Cambodia.

[hwinpp]

I didn't even know things like that were made here.

I can get original (though 'sorted out' and 'walked out of the back door') stuff here. Lots of sports stuff but also normal clothes, they're dirt cheap.

[spindrift]

I wish I'd had my camera with me to take a piccie of the Cambodian bags. They were ultra well-designed in bright colours with Cambodian writing on the front. Very smart. They also had a zip pocket inside to carry a purse. From time to time Conran stocks designer stuff from SE Asia and I suppose there is a designer outfit there producing goods in limited amounts.

Here they are. I found them on the internet.

[Don Cuevas]

I find it too easy to buy digital music and software on the Internet. Day before yesterday, I paid $25 to license software that allows audio from my computer to be wirelessly flown across the room to separate speakers. That, so I could listen to Last.fm music ($3 a month) from the big speakers.

Hard goods are less likely to be purchased, but when we go on trips to the U.S., I usually end up buy a lot of things that are too expensive here. Lke an iPod Touch, laptop, carrying bag, earphones, ad infinitum.

Socks, underwear, exciting stuff like that.
I love this 17" screen, MacBook Pro I got last May, but now I'm considering getting a plain old MacBook, 13.5 " screen, for travel. The present one is heavy and doesn't fit well on airplane dropdown trays. (What a rationalization!)

The camera I bought in 2007 is still working fine. I'm gradually discovering some of its features.

Another trip coming up in June. HELP! Please save me from myself! We will be stopping at a big outlet mall at Central Valley, NY.
My wife says to write down what it is we might want and mark the stores on the mall map. Otherwise, we are lost shopping souls.

[Deleted]

I have a friend who doesn't drive who wants me to take him to Ikea soon. That's always a dangerous trip. You go for candles and you come back with a palm tree.

[spindrift]

K - but IKEA's packets of ground coffee are worth buying...cheap too

[bjd]

I tend to impulse buy books on the internet. I don't like shopping in general though. But, next time I go to Paris, I will have to go buy some chairs at Ikea. It's true that going to Ikea always turns out more expensive than first planned -- things are often attractive and at good prices.

But renting a car to go to Roissy will triple the price of my chairs!

[Deleted]

As with some of the other stores like Trader Joe's,Costco,there is not an Ikea here. For this,I am grateful,as I know I would do as Kerouac said,and come away with 5 times what I initially intended on buying.