‘Tis the season to splurge: 5 retailer tricks that make you spend more

Home > Learn > Articles > Personal Finance

Personal Finance | Articles

Stores excel at getting shoppers to buy more than intended – here’s how to avoid their traps!

Dec 5, 2011

Woman putting gifts under Christmas tree

How much do you plan to spend shopping this holiday season? Chances are you have a number in mind. According to a poll by Ipsos Reid, Canadians are budgeting about $640 for holiday gifts in 2011. The survey also showed that the average person who overspent did so by 75 percent. Oops. And dare we even mention the few gifts you are likely to pick up for yourself? Um hmm.

Avoiding overspending can be a big challenge during the holidays when good intentions can trip up even the most careful budgeters. Indeed, retailers do their best to take advantage of the splurge season and squeeze every last dollar out of their customers’ more generous spirit.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be the one to put the extra jingle in their cash registers this holiday season. Here, we’ll take a look at the key tactics retailers are using and how you can skate right around their traps...

→

1 of 7

Additional Articles

Why you really can afford anything

How the power of language can affect how you feel about your finances

Credit/Debt, Personal Finance

Unless you’re made of money, chances are you’ve had to say “I can’t afford it” more than once in your life. It probably runs through your mind way more often than that. And while knowing your financial limits is a good thing, repeat this phrase too much and poof, it’ll come true. The problem is that this phrase, which is so often uttered in dejection, is backwards. And, while you’re marching to the beat of a constant refrain of “not enough money, not enough money,” you allow yourself to become a victim to the most fundamental factor in finance: personal choice. read more »

Big dreams or unrealistic expectations?

Canadian teens are overly optimistic about their future earning potential

Family, Personal Finance, Money Media

Canadian teenagers have a rosy outlook on their financial future, according to a recent survey. The study, which was commissioned by the British Columbia Securities Commission, reveals that teenagers have great expectations when it comes to their earning potential. But there’s just one teeny, tiny problem. These expectations have nothing to do with reality. read more »