Experts Offer Tips To Avoid Warehouse Shopping Addictions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Does buying bulk really save you money?
You walk into Sam's Club or Costco with intentions to buy just a few things, but you end up getting a lot more because it appears to be a good deal.
However, a lot of times, it just goes to waste.
Experts say there are things you can do to avoid "warehouse shopping addiction."
The big screens, the clothes - temptations by the bundle - and instead of pushing them away, you end up pushing a cart overflowing with things you just had to have.
"Nobody needs gallons of mayo," said Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a psychologist and UCLA professor. "I'm concerned if you walk off with a gallon of mayonnaise and you're not trying to feed a fire department or lots of children."
Experts say shopping addictions don't just pertain to the mall.
How often do you find yourself buying something in bulk only to find it still sitting there months later?
"You think, oh maybe I need this, or you see this, and then you buy all sorts of things you don't need," said one consumer.
Here are some tips:
First, make a list of things you really do need. Go shopping with a focus.
"Know who you're buying for," says Dr. Durvasula. "If something's perishable, are you really [going to want to] eat potatoes eight times a week? Probably not."
If you are buying a surplus of items, try splitting it with family or friends.
Buying too much can also lead to other wholesale habits like over-eating, hording.
Experts also advise: don't go shopping when you're hungry.
The one-stop shopping idea can seem more convenient, but do the math and calculate what you're really saving.
Here are a couple signs of addictive big box store shopping: spending beyond your means.
Maybe you're getting a bargain at the store, but are you using high-interest credit cards?
Also, are others around you commenting about your splurges? Remember, sometimes what you're buying is more problems by the bulk.
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