Would you buy it if it was full price?

Somehow you have ingested a chocolate bar that you just brought at the supermarket, and it’s almost dinner time. Were you even hungry for it? Were you craving chocolate? Can’t remember. How did this happen? And why?

 

Let’s back track. You were shopping for dinner after work and you were going along perfectly fine with the protein, green veg, quinoa and some herbs all in the basket and then suddenly this picnic bar jumps out at you 50% OFF! That’s a saving of $1.25. I am saving money, ok I will do it.  BAM they got you.

 

Supermarkets are smart. They know how to trick us. Place unhealthy items at the end of the isle just as we are about to finalise our shopping, and these temptations are put in front of us everywhere!  Not once have I seen a banana at the checkouts. And let’s face it, we probably never will -L

 

So I ask you, would you have purchased this chocolate bar if the sign was not a specials sign, but rather just the normal price? Or better still, in its normal chocolate isle and not in front of the checkout? Probably not.

 

So how do we avoid this?

 

There are a couple of tactics I like to share to help people avoid having to make these decisions:

  • Online shopping. You can create your shopping list as you need things, and then just collect when you are ready. No need to enter the shop, no need to walk past all of their temptations.

 

  • Avoid shopping when you are hungry. It’s just way too hard to make all of the right decisions when you are starving because you missed lunch because you were too busy.

 

  • Practice walking past and NOT making the purchase when you are feeling really strong. Like just after a workout when you are empowered by the endorphins. Or when you are wearing a really tight dress. Or when you are on a first date. (Are you going to the supermarket on your first date??? )

 

Over time, you will avoid the temptations, if you want to of course, and not put an extra $1.25 into Cadbury’s bank account, but rather choose the banana in the fruit section.

 

I am never going to condone you eating a chocolate bar, everything in moderation. But I just want you to be sure you are eating it because you want to rather than because you think you are saving money -J