I hate shopping. I know that’s going to get me condemned by some here, but there you have it. With one exception (Books) I’m a typical bloke shopper who will decide what I want, where it is and how much it’ll probably cost me long before I ever enter the colourful confines of a shopping centre. Once I get there, it’s blinkers on, head down and a rapid beeline to whatever I want – people and other obstacles be damned. I am what is known as a “Marketer’s Nightmare”.
As a further example, I once kindly informed a telemarketer that I did not want whatever it was they were selling. How did I know without knowing what it was, they asked? Well, I explained, I already had everything I required and had no planned shopping trips. If we were left wanting for something, I would quickly form a posse and invade the nearest shopping centre to fill said void, however currently such a void did not exist. Therefore, I didn’t require what they were selling, so this was a tremendous opportunity for us both to save time and words and leave our conversation where it was. On that occasion she thanked me for saving her some time and left me to it.
Like I said, a marketer’s nightmare.
However, I’m open to the odd impulsive purchase if it all makes sense. In this case, last week we found ourselves buying a 2005 Honda CR-V on a couple of days’ notice. We weren’t planning on buying a car for another couple of years, but the opportunity arose, we had the dough after diligently sockdrawing it into the mortgage, it was pretty much what we were going to get later on anyway, it has bugger all mileage and it was about $7,000 less than the market rate. So we did it.
On another memorable occasion, we bought a house within a few hours of seeing it, whilst not actually intending to do anything beyond have a bit of a look. Again, the different factors involved all kinda lined up, so conservative though we were, we did it.
How are you on the impulse buying, and what’s the most significant buy you’ve done at very short notice?
Another thing occurs – we have a friend who once, during a shopping trip with Mrs P, insisted she called her hubby to make sure it was all right that she spent the (Probably about $50) money to buy a jumper or similar. I had some less than dignified thoughts when I heard this one, but what is your threshhold for telling or not telling your significant other/parent/bank manager about a possible purchase?
The most I’ve ever spent by far on an impulse buy was $700. I saw that a store I used to browse through often had signs up stating that they were going out of business, and that they were selling all their Royal Selangor pewter items for half-price. The Lord of the Rings movies had recently come out and I had admired and priced around the beautiful Lord of the Rings series pewter goblets. I would NEVER have bought even a single one at the market prices (about $160-$220 each), but I knew that I’d never get a chance to buy them brand new at half price again – so I bought all six that they still had. Luckily I had *just* enough money in my account to cover it. They are all still in their storage boxes and I’ve not used them once, but they are a lovely thing to have and I don’t regret the purchase one bit.
I tend to be a bit of an impulse buyer at times but it’s usually inexpensive stuff, not the big ticket items. I’m like you PP, I *hate* shopping and will generally have what I want in mind before heading to the shops. Before the Internet it was a nightmare as often I’d get a mental image of what I wanted, head out and not be able to find anything like it. I think the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought on what could be called an impulse buy was a Wii. Used the thing once. I did buy my last car fairly quickly after deciding to get a new car but although it was quick, I did a lot of research before actually buying so I don’t consider that an impulse buy.
People are what I hate most when I’m shopping, especially the oxygen thieves in Ikea. Ikea is challenging enough without clots of moronic idiots completely blocking the aisles and not keeping their feral, probably rabid, offspring under control.
Pre-Internet, I always said that one of the things I’d do if I became filthy rich was, heading up to Christmas, hire an entire shopping centre for an evening for my friends and me to do our Christmas shopping.
Your first paragraph sounds exactly like me. I do get carried away occasionally in book stores but that’s about it. Book stores are the only shops I can happily spend any amount of time in.
The only impulse buys I can remember buying that were a substantial amount were two presents of jewellery for Mrs H and a painting I took a fancy to on a trip. Mrs H was there and approved of it and it’s been hanging on the wall since, reminding me that we never did get back to see the real thing (sunset over Menindee Lake); at least we have the painting.
As for thresholds, we both work to a low limit when things are tight and a looser limit when they’re not. We haven’t set any rules on it, we just both work that way.
Post hijack – word of the day,
D1 was researching falconry for a new story and discovered that the kestrel was once called a windhover (1670s) but earlier was known as a windfucker(1590s). Now that seems a far more appropriate name for a bird of prey like the kestrel. As she said, you can just picture it sliding past other birds muttering “out of my way – I’m a windfucker!”
If ever there was a word that needed saving from extinction,this is it.
I’d put that in my work email signature if I wasn’t certain I’d get destroyed for it. Kind of like that politician (Can’t be arsed googling it sorry) who got branded racist for describing a budget as ‘niggardly’.
You’re right H, Vote 1 for preserving windfucker.
I used to be a regular impulse shopper. Clothes, shoes, homewares, you name it, I would buy it if it took my fancy. I’m a lot better now though. Shoes do still occasionally magically find their way into my closet, but it’s certainly better managed than it used to be.
The man and I bought our unit in Brisbane on a whim. We drove past the place on the way to visit his parents and thought gee they look nice, inspected one 2 days later, and settled on that same unit 4 weeks after that.
We did the same with our car. Drove past, saw it and thought wow that’s a nice looking car, took it for a test drive, and picked it up 4 days later.
Lately, our biggest impulse buys have been flights. We talked about maybe heading back to Brisbane for his rugby club’s 30th anniversary dinner, then suddenly there was an itinerary in my email inbox.
On the issue of advising the other of spends – if I am going at the shops and see something that I am very tempted to purchase I will flick the man a text to warn him that I am about to indulge. The text is more to warn him that I am purchasing something that is probably going to mean that some part of the house is going to be re-arranged by the time he gets home though (homewares are my weakness), more than the actual price of an item. Things like curtains, rugs, new kitchen gadgets that need to be on display (which results in a complete re-organising of the kitchen so he can’t find anything again), new bed linen, that sort of thing.
It’s a strange thing. I used to really enjoy shopping, and Mum & I would have a girls day out somewhere like Chadstone, for an entire day.
NOW, I just don’t have the patience with shopping. I think it is partly because as I increased in size it became increasingly harder to find nice clothes that fit properly, as the assumptions of where people were big didn’t match my shape; and also partly because, like Pokey, I get an idea for something and then can’t find it in the shops.
I love the internet, firstly for research capabilities, and secondly for shopping.
I love bookshops too, but I have to carry the great pile that I couldn’t resist. On the internet, not only can I shop around for the best price, it is delivered!
As for impulse buys, or undiscussed buys – I guess it depends on what it is. I generally don’t go above $200-300 if it is just for me, and Mr R seems to work on a slightly lower threshold of about $150-200. Not that it has been discussed and decided upon, that is just how it seems to work out. I manage the finances so I know where we are at any time, whereas Mr R, although regularly updated, probably doesn’t want to take the chance of spending too much in case it happens to be a lean week. Usually he tells me what he wants to get, and do we have enough $ now to get it?
When we prepare to buy something major (car, house, whitegoods) we do a lot of research and looking around, and narrow down a shortlist that we would be happy with and through the process, get a very good idea of best price. So if an opportunity comes up where we have to make a quick decision, we can do it. To others I’m sure it looks like an impulse buy, but to us its not as we were prepared and were ready to buy. We did that with buying our house, which was under contract within a few days of going on the market; we did that with my car, and had the bargaining chip of no finance, pay cash; and we did that buying our dishwasher at the manufacturer annual warehouse sale, which we just happened to see as we drove past.
Pokey – just having experienced Ikea on Friday night, I second that.
H – love D1′s research & word of the day – that made my morning!
And therein lies one of the great dangers. I saw a quote of Miss Piggy once (On a menu of a cafe just near work) which gave the very poignant advice “Never eat more than you can lift.” I think that’s an important limiter in book shopping as well, so buying online can be a dangerous exercise which I try to curtail.
Limit books?!! How can you possibly say that? How can you DO that?!
Never too many books. NEVER!
Well we’re currently making noises about looking at a new house in the next 12 months. Publicly this is to house the potentially growing family (No she’s not, so don’t ask.) but privately, I just need somewhere to stash all my books.
I’m flapping terrible with money and a huge impulse buyer. It’s generally never anything overly expensive but it’s lost of little things that add up very quickly. I got paid last Thursday and I’m already down to $50 which is to last me until next Thursday.
I spent a lot of money over the last few days and well most of it wasn’t on myself. I have a problem with buying lots of things for other people or offering to buy things for them.
I love shopping. Hate going *out* to shop but I love online shopping. It makes me feel good, however I’m generally feeling pretty shit in about a weeks time when I realise I barely have enough money to make it through the week.
When I do spend money on myself it’s shoes, handbags, cosmetics and things of the like. Makes me feel better!
I could never do a major impulse buy because I don’t have the money
Copy and paste. I have money issues. Too many pretty shinies!
I find it easier to impulse buy for Scoobette than for myself and likewise with her, She finds it quite difficult to purchase for herself without feeling some guilt.
The one thing that puts me off shopping is the people, slow moving lemming-like people.
While at Chadstone the other day, apart from contributing greatly to Ojay’s operating profit, I was astounded as to how many stupid people there are, I mean how do they get out of bed without hanging themselves on their sheets? I find the best way to avoid the masses is to stick to the myer and david jones end. but that does lead us back to Ojay…Sigh
It has taken a long time (and sometimes I still struggle) to get used to spending money on myself, as for so long there just wasn’t the money to get anything more than the essentials. Later on there was, but we were saving for a house, and so I couldn’t *justify* spending on myself.
But eventually (after we got the house!) I figured, I work damn hard for it, and I earn good money, why can’t I enjoy at least a bit of it?!
It’s a mind thing…
I kinda agree, although I still manage to get by. Sometimes navigating the supermarket (especially if its larger than my local/s) can be murder thanks to them and/or their little monsters!
PP, your description is exactly Mr R’s attitude to shopping. A good shopping trip is a quick shopping trip. Lock on target, FIRE! Now let’s scram.
Years ago I would have said its a guy thing, except that as the years creep by, I am becoming more like that too. I don’t know if he’s rubbing off on me, or it’s age, or just losing patience with slowness & stupidity.
Dealing with the befuddled masses in shopping centres, navigating the perils of car parking, and the unmistakeable fun of queueing for the privelege of service have all but cured me from impulse shopping at retail outlets. Mainly because I avoid those locations so much that there is no opportunity.
But online… seeing all the things and wanting them, something comes over me not unlike the following plunge in to the desire for cake:
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/god-of-cake.html
Sites like Thisiswhyimbroke.com, or Grays Online would account for all my recent browsing history. The internal struggle to limit my bidding and spending.
I had a falling out with Grays over a difference in belief systems (I believed I should receive an item that matched the description of what I bid for), I no longer visit them and that has saved me a significant amount of time and money.
That link. Oh dear gawd.
I would slap my child silly if they did that. And cry.
CAKE! CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE! One of the world’s most perfect foods. :p
These days if I’m buying something unplanned I usually will check with Mr Coaster first – not because he’s the man (ugg ugg!) and I’m just the woman, but because he’s the one earning the money and checking the credit card statements, and we REALLY don’t have much to spare these days. So if it’s something I want rather than something we need, I will ask before buying.
We used to both be very big impulse buyers, not necessarily on big expensive things, but particularly on things like DVDs, PC games, dinners and brunches out, etc. Being forced on to one income long before DJ was born fixed us of that, I can tell you XD
There are limits??
Gawd. I’ve never requested permission from anyone to spend my cashola on something. I am adept, however, at buying the ‘dude du jour’ something to distract him from my lovely shiny things…
hehehe so thats what you call your “assets” hey honey?
LMAO
Seeing as Al and I are still on separate monies, it’s still: “Oo. Look. Shiny thing.” *BUY*
I don’t do impulse shopping as much as I used to and it’s mostly books these days, especially as I am saving like a crazy person for our holiday to the states.
Especially as I may be in a lower paid job soon (fingers crossed). Others are things I’ve been eyeing off for a while, say a DVD series. I figure, if I’ve wanted it for a while, and it’s not a passing want, I am justified in buying it.
In response to you PP about the house and needing more room for books, Al and I always have arguments about the 2 bookshelves we just bought. He is of the silly impression that I am not overrunning these with my books.
Which might have something to do with me sizing them based on the number of books I need to bring back from storage.
I don’t “impulse” buy, but if there’s a new shiny (like my camera) that I’ve been eyeing off for weeks/months, and I can justify it to myself, I’ll buy it. As AlexKJ mentioned, I work hard for my money and whilst I do save for a rainy day, it’s important to enjoy the sunny days as well.
I still have my money, but I also have “our” money.
So if it’s an impulse purchase using “our” money I generally run it past him if it’s over about $60, if it’s a my money thing, then the only person I have to run it past is me
My biggest impulse purchase to date has been a vacuum cleaner, a $4,000 vacuum cleaner. The brand of which I cant remember right now. But the cute guy sure did get a lot of sand out of our carpet in the demonstration :-S
I cant wait until I’m in the new house as then we will get all of our stuff back… living with someone elses furnature sucks!
I tend to only impulse buy for the house, my partner or my horses. I dont impulse buy for me very often at all!
ok I’m rambling… I’ll stop now.
Wait, what? A FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR VACUUM CLEANER?! For that kind of money, it had better be doing all the vacuuming itself!
My vacuum sucks
I have a $1,500 Wertheim vacuum cleaner named Walter. He works very well. Especially when he is being wielded by Ghryswald
.
In a loincloth?
My parents bought a rather expensive Miele one. BEST DAMN VACUUM CLEANER EVER.
It was actually much more enjoyable because it worked REALLY well, money well spent.
We’re saving really hard at the moment for our new house and the wedding, so we each now have an allowance each fortnight. It works pretty well as we can spend it on whatever we like, no questions asked – and when it runs out we have no one to blame but ourselves! I am certainly thinking more about what I spend, having previously tended to fritter my dollars away on coffees, buying lunch and other ‘little things’ that all add up.
I’m saving at the moment to go overseas middle of this year *all extremities crossed* So I have had to drastically curb my impulse buying… That said my impulse buying pretty much starts and finishes at books. Must. Not. Buy. More. Books. It’s slightly worked and it also helps that I have a new job that pays me more. Also I find getting payed on a weekly basis helps me budget better and save more. The only things that have eaten into my savings recently are the ball I went to a month ago and only decided to go to a week before it actually was on and organising stuff for an Estonian passport. One last thing to get sorted before I can apply and then I will be aaaallll good!
Though I’m not sure whether impulsively deciding I am going to go as Vala Mal Doran to Supanova and having a costume made for that will be considered an impulse buy?
I can be an impulse buyer, but thankfully it doesn’t happen all that often and when it does its usually smaller things like books, dvds or shoes. Since my bf and I keep our finances separate, neither of us has to justify a purchase to the other as long as we each have enough to cover our share of rent and bills etc. I was shocked one day when a group of us decided we’d go out for dinner after work on the spur of the moment. The restaurant was having a half-price pizza or pasta so it was going to be pretty cheap, and one friend had to call her husband to check if it was ok that she spend $7 on dinner…. (Just to clarify, they were both working full time at that stage).
Off topic, I should be working on my job application for a promotion opportunity at work but am really struggling with it. The key criteria are so vague, I really don’t know what they’re after and yet I’m currently acting at that level so clearly they think I’m capabable of doing the job. There is going to be a lot of competition for the two positions going, so I need to do well to give myself a fighting chance.
If you need a hand let me know. I worked in HR for years and am a dab hand at writing stuff like that.