(№31-32, 2009)
How often do customers, once in a store, change their plans and buy something they didn’t plan on, or, thinking about your brand, take another one off the shelf? The OgilvyAction agency conducted a study on impulse buying and exclusively shared the results with “&”.
Consumers' heads were once very accurately called “black boxes”, the contents of which are extremely difficult to understand. But their owners provide companies with turnover every day and allow the business to live and prosper. However, this only happens if people buy your product or service.
Marketers have long known that 70% of purchasing decisions are made in-store. Like any generalization (and even obtained from the results of a study in the USA), the figure of 70% is very arbitrary, and on its basis you cannot make any decisions regarding the launch or promotion of a brand. That's why OgilvyAction (the research arm of the Ogilvy Group, part of the WPP network) recently conducted a global study of consumer behavior in retail outlets.
These research findings are especially relevant at the present time, when manufacturers prefer to intensify their marketing efforts in stores. That is, directly where a person makes a final decision to purchase, looks at a product, holds it in his hands, then looks at a similar product and... for some reason changes his decision and buys something else. As noted in the 2008 Deloitte and Grocery Manufacturers Associations (GMA) report, growers and retailers They plan to increase spending on promotion (advertising, POS, etc.) within stores within three years. Moreover, 19% of manufacturers and 50% of retailers believe in-store activity is the best way to return on investment.
“The point of sale is where brands have their moment of truth,” says Steve Harding, CEO OgilvyAction in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa). “For companies to beat their competitors in the last mile, they need to know what makes customers tick.” After all, the task of increasing ROI and sales does not allow directors to sleep at night.”
Spontaneous China and Romania
About 30% of all buyers in the world do not plan in advance which brands they will purchase. They make their choice directly in the store. On average, every tenth person will change their mind near a product shelf and choose a brand that is not the one they initially thought about.
Many people pick up a product, but after thinking about it, leave it on the shelf. In general, there are about 10% of these (although the figure can vary greatly, for example, in the USA there are about 20%).
IN different countries There are varying degrees of spontaneity in customer behavior in the store. The aforementioned 70% has changed little in the US: according to the SDMIS (Shopper Decisions Made In Store) study, 72% of consumers make purchasing decisions while already in the store. The highest rate of spontaneity is in Romania - 94%. Very high in China - 88%. Residents of Germany are extremely conservative, only 38% of them make decisions locally.
These figures indicate that consumers are internally prepared to change their decision in the store. This applies not only to the choice of brands, but also to the category. Thus, around the world, 20% of people purchase goods in categories that they did not think about before coming to the store.
Reducing the price is simple, but ineffective
Sales are highly dependent on marketing activity in point of sale. OgilvyAction researchers found out which promotional activities are most effective in influencing people. The general conclusions are:
- special displays are best for promoting a product category (although they are also effective for selling certain brands in a set quantity);
- lowering the price helps to sell more, and the involvement of buyers helps to promote a specific brand (for this, sampling, recommendations, communication of the brand with consumers outside retail outlets, etc. are practiced).
Consumers need help in choosing a brand - be it visual accompanying materials or something else. Recommendations from employees greatly influence his choice. trading floor. Therefore, manufacturers should not lose sight of this channel of influence. The main thing is that the store staff is well-versed in all product categories.
From the above we can conclude: the least effective way promotion at the point of sale is price promotion. Around the world, consumers are more influenced by special displays of goods (for example, at the end of a shopping aisle) than by temporary price reductions.
About a third of Americans (29%) are shopping in categories they didn't plan to buy in before coming to the store. Many of them (24%) were influenced by product displays that were distant from the core ones shopping arcades, and only 17% shopped on price promotions. At the same time, the majority of consumers say that the display attracts their attention, and they make a purchase if the price suits them.
Jeff Fraud, chief strategic planner at OgilvyAction, commenting on the findings, said price promotions will always be important to buyers who don't want to be ripped off by manufacturers. It is important to remember that display, POS materials and other methods of promotion within the store work well on their own, without an accompanying price reduction.
Ukrainians love their beer
“In Ukraine, we studied consumer behavior in eight categories: confectionery, coffee, beer, spicy light snacks, soft drinks, skin care products, hair care products, tobacco products,” says Svetlana Polyakova, director of OgilvyAction Ukraine.
Here are some important indicators that characterize Ukrainians as buyers:
- 78% make one or more impulse purchases;
- 79%, when planning purchases, do not indicate the brand name in the list;
- 41% make impulse purchases in a product category;
- in Ukraine they have been talking a lot about loyalty for a long time. Probably, it has not yet been possible to achieve great success, because 46% of our compatriots make the final choice between brands directly in the store. Of these, a third change their initial decision;
- 35% of the store makes decisions about how much to buy.
(For comparison: in Russia, 30% of buyers choose a category in a store and 41% make decisions about quantity.)
There is a general law: each product category has different meanings for people, so they make decisions in these categories differently. But there are also exceptions. Thus, all over the world, consumers are more spontaneous in their choice of thirst-quenching drinks. Global indicator: 60% of shoppers decide, while already in the store, which brand to choose and how much of a product to buy.
In Ukraine, consumers are loyal to beer. They choose between brands only 10% of the time. And 70% of decisions in the beer category relate to the quantity of drink purchased. 15% of the total number of buyers buy beer spontaneously.
The maximum number of impulse purchases (Ukraine is no exception) are made by people in hypermarkets or other stores of a similar format. This is due to the great depth and breadth of their range.
Research methodologyThe SDMIS study covered 24 countries around the world. More than 14 thousand customers were surveyed at 700 retail outlets. People were asked at the entrance to the store about their intended purchases (intentions), then interviewed at the exit to find out what they had purchased and what in-store marketing they had noticed. Product categories, choice of brands and quantity of goods purchased were subject to analysis, because consumers usually make three types of decisions in a store:
In all countries, the study covered six categories - beer, coffee, shampoo, skin care products, soft drinks, tobacco products, but additions were made in each national market. Surveys were conducted in large and medium format supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores. |
Impulsive buyers are both a pain and a joy for marketers and business owners. On the one hand, it is much easier to motivate them to make unplanned purchases than rational buyers; on the other hand, you need to make them an offer that they cannot refuse, and most importantly, at the right time.
Despite the fact that most impulse purchases still happen offline, online users are driven by the same feelings and emotions, and since the number of online shoppers is steadily growing, e-commerce players should think about ways to attract impulsive buyers. The psychology of the buyer, despite the less favorable conditions for spontaneous purchases, remains the same, and with competent marketing, a significant part of the online store’s revenue is generated by random purchases.
But who are these impulse shoppers who are influencing online and offline retail so much? Are they mostly married or single? Where do they shop more often: online or in brick-and-mortar stores? Do they regret the purchases they made? How much do they typically spend on each impulse purchase? In what state of mind do they spend more, and why does unplanned shopping motivate them to spend more?
Today we'll take a closer look at the mysterious persona of the impulse buyer and talk about common traits and trends that can be used when building a marketing strategy.
Statistics and trends
Most people are prone to spontaneous shopping - 84 percent of all buyers make impulsive purchases. On average, there are at least three impulse purchases made in every 4 out of 10 shopping trips.
Despite the fact that most impulse purchases (about 8 out of 10) are still made offline, and it is unplanned purchases that make up 60 to 80 percent (depending on the area) of the revenue of offline stores, the figures for online platforms are not so far off: unplanned purchases account for about 40% of all e-commerce spending.
Financial aspect impulse purchases
According to statistics, over 40% of buyers spend more on purchases than they planned. More than half of US shoppers (54%) spend $100 or more on impulse purchases, including 20% who spend more than $1,000.
Interesting fact, that with planned shopping, shoppers are 13% less likely to make impulsive purchases, and with an unexpected shopping trip, they are willing to spend 23% more.
Portrait of an impulsive buyer
Single shoppers make 45% more impulse purchases than married couples. Of all generations, millennials are most prone to sudden purchases - among them, 52% say they like unplanned impulsive shopping.
Only 46% of men regret their purchases, while for women this figure is more than half – 52%. Although according to Brandongaille statistics, 75% of buyers feel happy after making spontaneous purchases.
If we talk about the emotional state, then most of the impulsive purchases are made in a joyful and upbeat mood: 50% among women and 46% of men. Spontaneous purchases out of boredom are made by 32% of women and 28% of men. Interestingly, sadness provokes women to buy much more than men: 28% versus 14%. But when drunk, the situation is reversed: under the influence of alcohol, 13% of men and only 5% of women make impulsive purchases. In a fit of anger, 10% of men and 13% of women are prone to impulsive purchases.
How to Capture the Attention of Impulsive Buyers
Tip 1. Ensure maximum convenience and speed of the site
To motivate the user to make a spontaneous purchase, you need to create conditions that reduce the time between the moment when he saw the product on the page and the moment of payment.
Shopping under the influence of emotions requires speed in everything: loading pages of an online store website, ease of ordering, Fast shipping. The more obstacles a user encounters on their path to purchase, the more likely they are to change their mind. Good service and ease of ordering at all stages help the user justify an unplanned purchase and ensure loyalty to the store in the future.
Tip 2: Use social proof
Positive evaluation of the product by other buyers increases the chances of influencing impulsive buyers. Reviews and blocks “X people bought this product today” serve this purpose perfectly. For example, the use of social proof in the form of a “purchased today” block in trigger mailings of the Quelle online store allowed us to achieve an increase in conversion by 37.8%.
Tip 3: Introduce discounts and limited-time offers
An excellent incentive for unplanned purchases are temporary promotions or special offers with certain conditions(for example, 3 for the price of 2), limited by time frames. These mechanics tap into the so-called “fear of loss” and help attract even rational buyers because they not only appeal to emotions, but also show objective benefits.
The most important thing in impulse buying is to make an offer that will actually interest the user. Appropriate suggestions for related and alternative goods Not only do they not annoy users, but they also seem useful to them, increasing the likelihood of purchasing additional products.
Just like products on promotional stands and checkout counters in offline stores, offer users related products on product, category, search, and even cart pages. Using the example of the Shoes.ru online store, personal recommendations can increase the average check by 11.8%, conversion by 6.9% and ensure revenue growth by 18.4%.
Tip 5. Provoke emotions
Since most impulse purchases are made in a joyful and elated mood, the task of an online store is to awaken good memories or set pleasant thoughts, for example, about an upcoming vacation or updating your wardrobe for the new season.
Don't use too much detail in the product description - impulse purchases are designed for an emotional response, so more emphasis should be placed on beautiful images and bright buttons. The brain processes visual images much faster than text and has a deeper impact, so use colorful and emotional photos.
Shoppers in front of computer screens, as well as in traditional offline stores, are susceptible to impulse purchases. And well-made offers, coupled with the convenience of the site and good service online stores will help impulsive shoppers enjoy unplanned purchases, instead of regretting shopping under the influence of an emotional impulse.
Sometimes customers spend days or even weeks researching a product before making a purchase, and sometimes they buy something without any prior intention. This is called spontaneous or impulsive buying. In fact, most consumers love to make spontaneous purchases. Nikolai Shmichkov, author of the Seoquick blog, will talk about how to get customers to make such purchases.
Have you ever bought something without any prior thought or calculation? I'm willing to bet yes. Even if it was a magazine or a chocolate bar in line at grocery store- also counts. According to statistics from the website CreditCards, 84% of consumers admit that they make impulse purchases from time to time.
I wonder how much they spend on this?
Experts learned that 54% of American consumers spent more than $100 on impulse purchases. At the same time, 20% spent more than $1 thousand in the last three months. And these are numbers that you need to think about. They should motivate online marketers and retailers.
Match this data with your product and decide who your target audience is.
If you're targeting impulsive men, pay attention to what they buy for their wives. But if you're targeting women, you should focus on products that are suitable for children.
It makes sense to feature these items in your store or website, but we'll talk about that later.
Spontaneous and planned purchases
Not every product needs to be sold as a spontaneous product. Some items are necessary. People will buy them regardless emotional state and suggestibility.
Let's say you own a home furniture store. The main target market is new homeowners. You know they need certain furnishings. Things like a bed, couch and kitchen table should be in every home. Where is the place for spontaneous purchases?
This could be a TV for the bedroom or some furniture for the living room. Not essential things, but people who are going to spend a lot of money tend to buy a lot of things, even if they had no intention of doing so at the moment.
Items like a picture, extra light fixture, statement pillows, rug and artificial flowers are a real magnet for spontaneous buyers.
Select additional products that you will promote along with the main ones, present them in a favorable light and get spontaneous sales.
Deadline advertising in the “Don’t miss it” format
The company uses certain keywords to create a sense of deadline that can stimulate the impulse buyer:
“Only 500 accounts left”;
"Do not miss";
"40% discount";
"Summer Sale".
Figure out how to incorporate this strategy into your business. I already talked about how to select the right keywords in.
Let's look at another example. Eat retail store located inside shopping center. A consumer comes to a shopping center, but does not plan to enter this store. think over outdoor advertising in such a way that they will start looking for you.
And here’s another example - a sale at the Shoe Center:
Conclusions:
Offer discounts and promotions.
Set a deadline.
Strategic Merchandising: How to Place Items
Products presented in a favorable light are key for any offline stores as well as e-commerce sites. Even though our society is moving towards digital shopping, the majority of impulse purchases still occur in physical locations. An important fact is that 68% of spontaneous purchases are made in regular stores, not on the Internet.
But that doesn't mean e-commerce stores should ignore casual shoppers. Research shows that spontaneous online sales jumped 60% during a period when overall online commerce increased by 12.6%. 10% of users buy through smartphones and tablets, and there are great growth prospects. These numbers are extremely encouraging for online store owners.
Place spontaneous products on landing pages. Don't force buyers to look for something. You can read how to make a high-converting landing page in this article.
Example - SAXX website:
When people visit this site, they may purchase something they don't actually need or intend to buy. Current positions are displayed on the main page and immediately catch the eye.
In addition to offering these items at a discount, SAXX uses a deadline to attract customers: ... "before they disappear." We recommend that online store owners use this marketing tactic.
Items for spontaneous purchases should not be hidden in product cards or anywhere else. Present them at the end of the page, in a separate table, or in sidebars.
And here home page Russian ECCO website:
Here, hot offers are listed down and discounts are listed up. It is immediately obvious that you can buy it profitably. There's no doubt this store sells a lot.
In brick-and-mortar stores, place items near the checkout counter so customers can see them as they exit or in line.
Remember what we said about the differences between male and female buyers. Based on this information, it makes sense to display some women's products near the men's section of the store to encourage men to buy for their wives. And separate children's items are next to the women's sector to encourage ladies to buy for their children.
In addition to marketing strategies, do not forget about SEO optimization of an online store; we have a separate material on this topic.
Another way to increase sales is contextual advertising. It is especially beneficial for young sites that are still little known. How to make it effective advertising campaign with minimal costs, you can watch in this video:
Simplify your purchasing process
When someone is ready to make an impulse purchase, don't let them engage in analytical thinking and change their mind. The purchasing process should be as quick and easy as possible.
Have you ever been to IKEA? They sell furniture and home accessories. The buyer walks through the room models and, if he sees something he likes, writes down the item number. After the customer goes through the entire store, he receives the goods in the warehouse in accordance with the recorded numbers.
This is a great business model and is why IKEA is successful internationally. However, this process is not aimed at impulse purchases. Too long. There are too many steps and opportunities for the buyer to change his mind.
Those who have an e-commerce store must optimize the site so that the customer can complete the purchase in a minimum number of clicks. Don't ask the buyer to create account or fill out lengthy forms where name, address and payment information are sufficient.
This the most important part online sales, since every unnecessary action leads to the loss of customers.
Provide easy access to support
Good service and customer support stimulate sales, especially for unplanned purchases. The buyer should not have problems finding a consultant in an offline store. Each specialist must be competent in his or her field. Sellers are required to inform customers whether the product is in stock, what promotions and discounts are running at this time.
It is also important to clearly indicate the terms of delivery and return in case of trouble. The simpler and more pleasant the communication with a consultant, the better the sales results.
See the impact free shipping and returns on online sales growth:
Free shipping increases sales by 93% and returns by 87%. The more opportunities the buyer has, the more trust the seller has.
Make sure your company prioritizes customer service and provides access to consultants online, over the phone, or in an in-store store.
Companies can increase revenue by learning how to drive consumer behavior. Although some personality types are less likely to make impulse purchases, the vast majority of consumers participate in them, which means it should be exploited. Focus on key incentives and your profits will increase significantly:
promote individual products that generate more income;
use marketing campaigns to get the client to buy quickly without going into deep analysis;
properly position items in the store and on the website to increase sales;
ensure an easy and fast purchasing process.
make sure you provide quality customer support.
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Trick the brain and not regret the consequences
When I see a new ultra-thin smartphone with curved edges, my knees shake. If it looks nice, has a screen and a processor, I want to buy it.
Maxim Ilyakhov
Two years ago I had a debt of 150 thousand for a bunch of electronics bought in such unconsciousness. I bought smartphones and players, smart headphones and batteries, charging stations and cards of all shapes and sizes. When I paid off my debts, it became clear that something had to be done about it. I read books about neurobiology and developed my own method of protecting myself from spontaneous purchases.
This is the method. Perhaps it will be useful to you. Its task is to reduce the number of thoughtless spontaneous purchases and force yourself to be more rational about the money on your credit card.
"Please postpone"
Part of the thrill of a purchase is the anticipation. Therefore, the first step is to enjoy the anticipation and delay the purchase itself as long as possible.
When I see a device I want in a store, I give myself permission to examine it from every angle. I ask the seller, ask him to unpack it, choose the color, accessories - a complete body kit. I enjoy the attention the consultant gives me, since he has nothing else to do. I'll find out the price. I'll find out everything about the warranty. I ask about discounts and sign up for a discount card. In general, I’m savoring the upcoming purchase.
When I feel like I’m about to buy, I tell the seller this: “Great, all I have to do is go get the card. Please put it aside, I’ll be there soon.”
And I leave the store in the direction of the nearest coffee shop.
What's happening. When the brain wants to buy something urgently, it may be influenced by external factors: shop, salesman, bright light, music. Maybe the body is just tired and it’s hard for the cerebral cortex to manage other departments - hence the desire to buy something for yourself as soon as possible. Psychologists in the early 2000s called this Ego Depletion - ego depletion. To reduce this effect, you simply need to take your brain away from the environment in which it wants to buy impulsively.
It must be said that the phenomenon of ego depletion is now under big question and requires re-examination, because methodological problems were found in the original experiments. It is possible that this is all bullshit.
Eat something sweet
Sometimes the brain doesn’t exactly want a smartphone for forty thousand, but simply “well, at least something.” We need to check this. While we are checking this, the brain will switch to another mode and will be able to calmly assess the situation.
At the coffee shop I order a cake and a hot drink. The goal is to quickly pump up sugar. An alternative to a cake is a glass of sweet soda. But it is important to find yourself in new circumstances during the reception, to sit down and isolate yourself from outside world. A coffee shop, food court, restaurant, or any eatery with seating is suitable for this.
I eat sweets, wash them down with savory ones, wait half an hour. During this time, your blood sugar levels will begin to rise. While it is rising, I move on to the next step.
What's happening. If your impulse buying is due to your tired brain, an easy way to revive it is to pump it up with glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. After training, a long day at work or difficult negotiations, glucose is low, so there is little self-control. A person is more prone to impulsive actions.
If it turns out that the phenomenon of ego depletion is a hoax, then there is a big question about glucose. There is already evidence that sugar as such has no effect: simply creating the impression that you are eating sweets is enough. One way or another, this method helps me.
Surf the Internet
The next half hour should be spent researching your future purchase online. The main emphasis is on shortcomings and criticism.
I watch reviews and unboxings, read articles and reviews. I look at the prices. As my sugar levels rise, my brain begins to look more and more critically at what is waiting for me in the store. I begin to see flaws and listen more sensitively to other people's criticism.
It is very important to watch live reviews on YouTube: the herd mechanisms are triggered. If my future purchase has disadvantages, within half an hour I should learn about them from those who have already used it.
It's helpful to compare prices online with prices I just saw in the store. Often at this moment greed kicks in: instead of buying a smartphone in a brightly lit salon for 40 thousand, you want to go to the radio market and buy the same thing for 32 thousand.
The last thing to do is to find a future purchase on Avito. How much can I sell it for if I'm disappointed? Maybe it makes sense to buy it second hand right away? Usually the first two screens on Avito are enough to present the order of prices for a future purchase. And then greed begins to torment you even more: you can buy the same thing in almost perfect condition for 25 thousand, or even 20.
What's happening. The brain is working at full capacity again and is able to think critically. "Yes it beautiful smartphone, but everyone is complaining about the battery and the lack of a memory card. Forty thousand is nonsense. And in general, I’ll buy the same almost new one for fifteen thousand cheaper.” Cora is back in control of the process.
Result
About forty minutes later, while I was sitting in a cafe, the following happened:
- The brain has rested and gained strength, now it is again able to make rational, rather than impulsive decisions.
- I learned about hidden defects in my future purchase. Now she doesn't look so attractive.
- It hurt me to pay so much when I saw almost the same thing at one and a half times cheaper.
After this little exercise, I no longer want to buy it myself. I turn around and go on about my business.
What else helps
Along the way, I found a few more healthy recipes that protect against impulse buying.
Keep a credit card at home. Just don't take her with you out of harm's way.
Hide money in a deposit. If at the end of the month there is something left on the card, I transfer everything to a replenishable deposit. But it’s a pity to take money out of the deposit; I just want to accumulate it.
Trade-in. If I really want something new, I first look at what I can sell from the old one. For example, to buy a new smart watch, I sold my old smart watch and my old smartphone. Both were gone in less than a day, and with the proceeds I immediately bought a new watch. The amount of junk in the house has decreased, but the amount of money has not changed.
Give gifts. If your brain urgently wants to buy something, let it be as a gift to your wife. I strengthen relationships, do something nice, and it doesn’t seem to be as harmful as it is for myself.
Save little by little every week for nonsense. I opened a savings account in Internet banking and set up automatic payment: every week 500 rubles are transferred from the main account. The rules are as follows: I can spend the amount from this account on anything at any time without any twinge of conscience.
Don't buy drunk. My lowest level of self-control is after drinking a liter glass of beer before lunch. Knowing about this is already enough to prevent yourself from going into stores in this state. Writing articles is a pleasure. Please call your exes. Never go to an electronics store.
To learn more about the brain and decision making, check out these three books. There are many others, of course, but I liked these:
- Jonah Lehrer. How we make decisions. Corpus, 2010
- Asya Kazantseva. Who would have thought? Corpus, 2014
- Charles Duhigg. The power of habit. Career-press, 2015
The ego depletion effect may be a sham. Perhaps my impulse buying is simply a weak character and not a biologically based effect. Recent experiments have not revealed a clear connection between sugar consumption and a person's ability to make informed decisions.
Quite often, according to recent data, there was a placebo effect: a person was told about ego depletion and given a glass of soda, but instead of sugar it contained artificial sweetener. The man drank soda and thought that now he would make better decisions. And indeed he made better decisions, although his sugar levels did not change.
But even if the placebo effect is in effect, it is still useful to give the brain the opportunity to soberly assess the situation. It's better not to buy than to buy and regret it.
In our crazy, crazy world, we quite often spend x amounts of money on various things. But people have been thinking about saving, probably since the times when two bison skins were given for three leopard fangs. So far we have not figured out how to change this fang-hide course, but I will try to tell you how to spend less fangs for the same skins.
Let's say that we need to purchase a certain gadget, for which we have twenty thousand rubles.
The stupidest thing you can do if you want to buy a certain thing and intend to save money is to buy it right now. The fact is that you mentally already have a gadget, you carry home the box with it, unroll the layers of soft pimply polyethylene, feel the incomparable smell of new electronics, gently, affectionately press the “Power” button... Wake up! A button and polyethylene with pimples won’t get you anywhere, but a few thousand rubles are easy. Coming to the store in a state of such euphoria, you will not only buy anything (even a car without wheels), but also spend any amount (if, for example, they tell you that there is no gadget for 20,000, but there is a cooler version for 23,000). In order to save money, postpone the purchase of an item for exactly a week - that's it. We will spend this week fruitfully and learn how to buy correctly (what did you think, saving money is no less work than earning it).
First, let's determine whether you really need a new thing. As British scientists say, a person buys new things for two reasons. Firstly, he may feel a real need for a new thing (“my old MacBook is broken, and it can no longer be repaired”), or he buys a thing guided by the image principle (“my MacBook seems to be nothing yet, but then the new MacBook Air came out, it cooler"). So - The best way save money - do not buy things based on image. There is nothing bad or shameful about this. For example, the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, whose fortune is estimated at $23 billion, still drives a car he bought 15 years ago and sits in a chair that is 23 years old. And nothing, he is not ashamed!
It seems to you that you can’t do without a new gadget - good. Now sit down and calmly imagine yourself with a new thing (yes, yes, you have often done this in Lately). Imagine how you use the gadget, how often and how comfortable you feel while doing so. Perhaps this will help you understand that you don’t need a new thing (for example, you are going to buy a new e-reader, but in fact you prefer paper books or you don’t have time to read at all).
When you decide to buy a new item, try to find someone who already has it and use it in a calm environment (you are unlikely to be able to think soberly in a store). How comfortable is the camera in your hands? Do you like the feeling of working at the laptop keyboard? You won’t pay attention to all this when purchasing, but it may be the deciding factor in the end.
Read all the reviews and forum posts, both good and bad. Don’t read reviews and reviews on store websites, we know who writes them (I’ll tell you a secret - me). Try to reach out to all the reviews; if the item is expensive, talk to the owners live. Study the information on the forums with a piece of paper on which in one column write down all the shortcomings cited by the owners of the gadget, and in the second - all its competitors. Special attention Focus on shortcomings that occur repeatedly (for example, if users constantly write that the laptop often gets hot). Re-read the first list (list of shortcomings). Perhaps something is a critical flaw for you? Exactly (and then they could write such critical posts themselves on the forums)!
As we have already said, we have 20,000 rubles to buy a new gadget. Now we take and subtract 10% from this amount - we are left with 18,000 rubles. Calm down, I’m doing this for your own good (predicting questions about the origin of the number 10, I say that 10% was not invented by me, but by the founder of the popular blog about minimalism Zen Habits, Leo Babuta). And this number is taken away for a reason. The thing is that every thing has an image factor (and these 10% roughly characterize this factor). Let someone else pay for the brand and a beautiful nameplate, we’re not like that, right? Moreover, the 2,000 taken away will not disappear anywhere - they will be overhead expenses. Your new laptop will need a bag, your phone will need a case and headset, your camera will need a memory card, and so on. As a result, you will spend just 20,000 (and not 22,000 - 23,000, as it could have been).
Carefully study the list of competitors that appeared with us after analyzing reviews and feedback. Which ones cost 18,000? Highlight them and start researching reviews of these models. Soon enough, you'll notice that some of the competitors are just as good as what you originally wanted to buy (maybe even better).
Carefully study all available sources of purchasing products - all physical and electronic stores. Pay special attention to purchasing abroad, electronics are cheaper there. Know everything about discounts (in November and December, electronics are usually cheaper - stores are preparing for the pre-New Year rush and lowering prices). Feel free to ask about discounts and special offers As a rule, most stores are willing to make a small concession.
When going to a physical store, take one or two people with you (they can be friends or relatives). Instruct them in advance - those accompanying them should sparkle with skepticism and pour bile. With such companions, you will not have a chance to break down and buy the wrong thing. It’s also good to have exactly 18,000 rubles in your pocket and forget your credit card at home.
Help other people save - give hints, advise, teach, subtract 10% of the amount and snatch from their hands the money prepared to be deposited into the cash register for a gadget that is actually unnecessary.
Don't do all of the above at once (you'll end up out of work and lose more money than you could earn). You and I have a week, right? Spend half an hour a day on analysis and searches, in the evening, when, according to the well-known proverb, there is nothing to do. Many will say, “Is it worth wasting time to save a measly two thousand.” Firstly, 20,000 is the amount taken as an example (the method works well for both 200,000 and 2,000,000). And secondly, if you can easily spend any amount of money without blinking without the thought of saving even a little, then forget everything that is written here and sail on on your yacht.
That's it, friends, I have some advice. I’ll also say this: in order to have enough money, you don’t need to earn more than you spend, but spend less than you earn. Healthy minimalism and connecting the head have never hurt anyone. Good luck on the battlefields with price tags!
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