Retailers know you don't like shopping. So during the holidays, they ramp up the marketing, crank the festive music, and plant overpriced generic gifts at store entrances and on aisle end caps--places where you're most likely to cave and grab whatever's nearby. In a survey from last year, the consumer research firm BigInsight found that men dropped a total of $568 on presents. That's a car payment. Or round-trip airfare to Mexico. Could you shave a few hundred bucks off that total and still make everybody happy? Yes. Find out how below.
Ditch Your Entourage
Men spend 54 percent more when they shop with friends, a study in the Journal of Marketing Research found. The reason? They don't want to look cheap. That's also why you'll spend 29 percent more if you bring the kids along, and 7 percent more if you shop as a couple, says Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology and Brand-washed. (Plus, says Lindstrom, couples are more likely to argue immediately after a shopping session, when their patience is most depleted.)
Pop In the Earbuds
Holiday tunes dip into your wallet in two ways. First, the gentle tempos slow your footsteps so you ponder more purchases. Second, the music taps into nostalgia, which is closely linked to guilt in most men, says Lindstrom. "You start thinking you should be a better father, husband, or son." Then you spend more. So bring along the same upbeat tunes you usually listen to in the gym. You'll move faster, stick to planned purchases, and spend about 25 percent less, Lindstrom estimates.
Pack an Energy Bar
The constant temptations of eggnog, cookies, and holiday treats can drain your willpower. As a result, say researchers at the University of Minnesota, you may be willing to pay about a third more for purchases. "You become more impulsive," says Roy Baumeister, Ph.D., coauthor of Willpower. The solution? Eat a snack with glucose. Baumeister's research found that the sugar temporarily restores self-control to help prevent overspending. We like fruit-sweetened Larabars.
Abandon Your Online Cart
Trying to catch a break on a big-ticket item? Put it into your online shopping cart, fill out all the purchase forms, and then, just before you click "confirm your order," close your browser. Odds are one in five that the merchant will contact you to draw you back in, says Ross Kramer, CEO of the online marketing firm Listrak. "The first e-mail will likely say, 'Where'd you go?'" he says. "But if you can wait another week or two, it'll change to, 'Hey--here's a discount.'"
Buy a Last-Minute Gift Card
Missed the December 18 deadline to finish your online shopping with free delivery? Here's your move: Visit a gift-card clearance site to buy the cards below retail. You can purchase an actual card, which will arrive in the mail, or an e-card, which is a code sent to you via e-mail. One site, Gift Card Granny, pulls in more than 50,000 cards from resellers, offering deals from over 600 restaurants and retailers such as Barnes & Noble, SpaFinder, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice. Expect to save about 15 percent off the card's face value.
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