I cringed after reading this article as I fit a few of these things. I shall not blame an advertising company as I am convinced I never fall to the trickery of advertisement. The think I am most guilty of now is fixing a replacing things that there may not be anything wrong with it. I always strive for perfection in things, and I may even purchase something of lower quality, or something with obvious flaws and fix it up with better things (like my house). I may have been guilty of impulse buying once in awhile. I blame this on the fact that I really dislike the shopping process, at least for vehicles (thank goodness for the internet).
As this article points out obvious things that consumers are guilty of, and their purchasing styles and habits, one has to think that companies focus on these weaknesses and exploit them to their fullest extent. I would believe that infomercials are aimed at impulse buyers. Has anyone ever notices that there is always a money back guarantee on a 19.95 item, all you have to do is pay for shipping? I wonder how many people ever do send their purchases back.
I believe once someone is truly aware of their purchasing habits and do understand their weaknesses they can probably control the impulse, or avoid being put into a position of regretting a purchase later.
For me recognizing the financial type of an individual is the first step in improving one's financial affairs. Then setting goals and creating a plan are the next steps to financial freedom. America, more than any other nation has developed a trend of spending what we don't have and living in debt for the rest of our lives.
ReplyDeleteI think that is awesome that you find value in items that you can improve on yourself. I tend to do the same thing, but sometimes I get too many projects and don't finish them in a timely manner. Also, time is an issue for me. I have to weigh out all the options. What is my time worth? I find myself asking this question when I have a project to do around the house. I can salvage materials to create something or I can just go to the store and buy the item. I am analytical in my thinking, so I am constantly weighing out all the variables with every decision I make. I have found that every decision I make will affect me financially in some fashion.