How drinking water and high heels affect your shopping binges

NEW DELHI: Sale is probably the most loved four-letter word and, yet, it can cause much grief. If your spending is out of control or shopping binges threaten to topple your budget, drink a lot of water, take crisp notes and avoid stores that use a lot of red in their displays or play soft music.

It might sound outlandish, but a study at the University of Twente in the Netherlands found that the self-control required to hold a full bladder extends to restraint in purchase decisions. Contradicting earlier studies suggesting it would reduce control, the research claimed that people in such situations were more likely to delay gratification or hold out for the bigger prize, resulting in better decisions.

Women shoppers may find that high heels can lead to better buying decisions too. According to research by the Brigham Young University in the US, the effort required to maintain balance on high heels has a moderating effect on spending as well. Of course, the same result can be achieved by doing things that require balance, such as yoga.

Another study published in the US Journal of Consumer Research found that people carrying crisp and mint-fresh notes spend less. Dirty and mutilated notes make a person want to get rid of them. Carry new notes and you are likely to spend less.

Also, avoid stores and websites that use a lot of red. Various studies show that the colour stimulates, urging shoppers to spend more. One such study, ‘The Effect of Red Background Colour on Willingness to Pay’ in the Journal of Consumer Research, found that shoppers on eBay bid more aggressively for products shown against red backgrounds.

Another way to rein in the spendthrift in you is to keep photos of bigger goals linked to you and your family in your purse. Researchers at the universities of Toronto and Virginia found that such pictures help people spend less, because it is a constant reminder of the goals they have set.

Another antidote to splurging may sound counterintuitive: During sales, head for the busiest shops. People tend to spend less and make faster purchases in crowded stores perhaps, because they want to get out of the place as fast as possible.

Soft-piped music is a ploy retailers use to make people spend more time in the store and buy more. On the other hand, music with fast beats and tempo makes them sift through the store faster. However, according to Psychology Today, overstimulation can also result in lower self-control and, hence, more impulsive purchases.

Lastly, avoid becoming too friendly with the sales staff and do not agree to a soft drink or beverage offered by the store. You might end up buying out of a sheer sense of obligation.