Peak Performance Holiday Shopping

Love it or hate it, it's that time of the year when just about everyone will find themselves competing for bargains and searching for the perfect gift. Call it the big game season of shopping. Just as athletes prepare mentally and physically for the big game, so should you. Here are five tips to achieve peak performance shopping.

Hydrate
When you're thirsty, you're likely to be more irritable. But that's not all, thirst contributes to confusion and fatigue -- not the best mental state to be in when you're spending money. Stay sharp by drinking water.

Fuel Up
Impulse purchases are the number one budget breaker. When you're hungry, you're more vulnerable to impulsive behaviors of all sorts. Eat protein, in particular, to help reduce impulsive buying and stay in control.

Cool Down - Emotionally
Crowds, competition, time pressure and noise fire up our autonomic nervous system. When that happens, the body drains resources from the brain. Rational thinking suffers as a result. Worse yet, it turns out that we're not great at pinpointing the source of our bodies excited reaction. That means we can misinterpret a heart-thumping reaction to a pushy crowd to mean desire for a product. The antidote is time -- it takes about 20 minutes to cool down, so wait that long before you buy.

Research
We instinctively use nearby comparisons to determine the value of products. For example, if we see three things in a row that are $10, when we see something similar that's $5, we'll think it's a good value. That's not always the case. Retailers sometimes strategically position higher priced items nearby because they know this principle works. The same is true for sales. We assume a sale product is "worth" its regular price and so the sale price must be a value. The best bet is to research prices beforehand and go into a store with your own reference points.

Combat Inertia
Research shows that after we cross the mental threshold of our first purchase, the rest come easier. And it's often the add-on purchases, such as stocking-stuffers or a matching accessory, that add up to budget disasters. Try to mentally calculate each purchase as if it's your first.

If you've ever gone over budget, purchased a gift you later regretted or impulsively purchased a $25 Christmas tree ornament, you're not alone. Shopping under pressure is rife with physical and mental landmines. Follow these five tips for a performance edge in shopping.

 

 

 

Follow Kit Yarrow, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/genbuy

Comments

[BrendaNYC]

08:31 AM on 11/28/2011

These are great tips. I would add that it is helpful to stay our of stores that are pricey. There is something about spending time in a posh shop that leads to considering that $25 ornament a bargain. It's also helpful to shop alone. Staying focused and goal oriented is easier without the distraction of a friend. www.HereSheIsBoys.com

[Kit Yarrow, Ph.D.]

03:19 PM on 11/28/2011

So true! A great addition Brenda. Thanks.

[spinotter11]

05:29 PM on 11/26/2011

Kit Yarrow, you have a Ph.D. and you wrote an article about performance tips in shopping? How low the mighty are fallen!

[Kit Yarrow, Ph.D.]

12:12 PM on 11/27/2011

I know... might not sound lofty enough but I study how and why people buy as a lens to understand and compare societies, generations, socio-cultural shifts. In the process I see people make all sorts of buying decisions that they later regret. I was hoping this might help. : -) Kit

[spinotter11]

06:50 PM on 11/27/2011

I don't know if I deserved such a kind reply. But Kit, I am so disgusted and alienated by the excessive consumption of human beings, especially in this my own country which has become more and more shallow, materialistic, and meretricious throughout my lifetime. And it was from that point of view that I framed the first post. What would Socrates say about Black Friday? I thought Americans were better than mere consumers. Apparently I was wrong. IMHO, our society needs to learn to stop buying and start sharing. Best wishes.