Herbal Aromatherapy |

It’s happened to us all- we nip out at lunch and end up coming back with a bag full of new clothes or a stash of new CDs or DVDs, or after a stressful week we hit the shops on a Saturday to cheer ourselves up.

But that euphoria is short lived once the credit card bill lands on the mat or you check your account to see your overdraft spiralling out of control. Then you get that all too familiar sinking feeling, need cheering up and the whole thing starts again.

In a recent study by VitalSmarts children were told they would have the opportunity to earn money and were asked how much of it they wanted to save. They were then put into what was described as an impulse rich environment, with bright posters advertising sweets which they were also able to sample.

The children were told they could purchase sweets before they earned the money, with whatever they spent to be deducted from what they earned- recreating the model of buying on credit.

87% was the amount of the money the children said they wanted to save when asked before they went in, but the average that was actually saved was 32%, showing the power of a buying environment and how impulse is a huge factor in the buying process.

This echoes the situation many adults find themselves in, as they set a budget, which is then forgotten once they have consumables in front of them and are in the ‘buy,buy, buy’ environment that most shopping centres are.

Avoiding the shops at all costs is the best way to break the pattern, but this is something which most of us can’t do, as there are necessities we need to purchase. A more realistic method is to take a friend shopping with you and instruct them to keep you within your budget. Choose a friend who won’t get sidetracked and explain to them what your budget is and why it is important you stay within it.

Rewards are another great way of staying on the straight and narrow, as if you give yourself regular treats, which are planned into the budget then you don’t feel as hard done by and our more likely to achieve your spending goals.

Learn more about a debt advice agency. Stop by The Debt Advisor’s site where you can get online help with debt