Monday, July 11, 2011

Day 58: Buy one get one free…

What is it about a bargain that gets our hearts pumping?  I equate it to gambling and winning; after all you are winning something, a crucial and valuable free…box of noodles?

We all love bargains, especially surprise ones.  Did you know that advertisers pay supermarkets extra money to stack their products on the end of the aisles because it is more noticeable to consumers?  You can always tell if a market is a Coke or Pepsi preferred store by where these products are stored. Wherever one is stored the other is hidden in the middle of the aisle stocked between millions of other lookalike brands.

All of these concepts are ways in which we are easily manipulated by the product industry.  But why are we so susceptible to these tactics?  We love something on sale, especially in this economy; we love to get something for nothing.  What I want to know is why I need an extra can of sauce when I make my own sauce every week. 

The concept of a bargain makes us feel wise and prudent.  We are clearly saving money and what could be better than that?  What I want to know is would I have purchased that item anyway?  How long has it sat on the supermarket shelf before my eager fingers picked it up?  Will it sit forever on my shelf?  Did I really need it?  Did I really want it?  Was I just manipulated into buying it?

I don’t know if I will really get to the bottom of these issues but I am clearly making my way to the cashier now and the last minute impulse purchases stocked at the cashier are really appealing.  I should never go shopping when I am hungry, that’s always a gigantic mistake!

I figured that I spent an additional $25 more than I intended today; I forgot to use the coupons I brought with me; and I did not get all of the items on my list but I’m happy,  I got one free…

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