In my shopping hay days, one of the traps that I always seemed to get caught up in was Frequent Buyer Rewards programs. As a deal seeker and sale finding professional deep down in my soul, it was an easy trigger for me. With discounts upon discounts, they were practically giving things away! (I’m looking at you Macy’s!)

I’ve had my fair share of moments where I burst in the door, practically twirling, hands full of shopping bags, shouting “it was all on sale!” And I’ll admit it — that was really fun and felt really good.

But… while rewards and discounts are nice and get you excited about the prospect of saving money — even thought you’d save more money by skipping the deal all together, AHEM– it’s a pretty clear ploy from retailers to ultimately get you to shop more and spend more. Specifically on things you don’t need! You already have the thing you need, but here’s some free money. Come back soon ya hear??

It’s just another form of clever advertising. One that ultimately rewards the retailer and keeps us right where they want us. Circling around and around with a constant desire for more. Drowning in our stuff and still feeling like we have nothing to wear. They know exactly how to hook their customers.

Tips to Avoid Frequent Buyer Rewards

I honestly don’t have any magical tips or avoidance tactics for this sort of thing. Sorry, my title was very misleading. I guess there’s always the usual: unsubscribe, have a separate email for retailers, throw the coupons away right when you get them, etc. But the real answer is change. Re-frame your thoughts. Shop in a smarter, slower way. Practice controlling your impulses. And keep with you the knowledge that you have enough and are enough. Then it becomes easier to drown out the noise of constant bombardment. Trust me, Macy’s [insert store of your choice] won’t even miss you once you’re gone.

Armed with #thefourshoppingrules, you can be smarter with your hard earned money. Whether you’re buying investment pieces or sale items. It works across the board. IDENTIFY / INVENTORY / IMPULSE / INVEST.

And just keep in mind this juicy little tidbit from my dear husband: There will always be another sale. In the thick of my shopping addiction, it honestly never even occurred to me. Haha!

Do Frequent Buyer Rewards Programs set off your shopping triggers? Any smarter ways to avoid them or use them to your advantage?

loves,
jaana