Tampa shopping has made many people an expert when it comes to consumerism. So many of us simply go to the mall, pick up the first item we see, and pay for that purchase. That’s not the way how this should go. Shopping is a science almost to the point of madness. Before you judge us on this, you have to think long and hard about this concept: you spend an average of eight hours daily to work and to be able to pay your bills. You fit everything into your meager allowance. Pay the bills, buy the food, save some in the bank… if you have an extra $100, would you willfully part from it?

If we were you, an item has to pry that $100 off our cold hands. That item needs to be needed and wanted… it needs to be more than a necessity or a luxury. We worked hard for that hundred bucks. It should provide us with something we want and need in our lives. This is why when you intend to shop, you have to look out for yourself and avoid the silly mistakes amateurs are making.

Impulse buying

We are all guilty of buying impulsively. When we are confronted by the sight of rows and rows of handbags or shoes or clothes, we forget that we must not buy anything that we don’t need or crave for. It’s always tempting to buy everything you lay your eyes on, but is it practical? Ask yourself that every chance you get. Nothing is more of a bummer than realizing, once you are home, that you just spent hundreds of dollars on something you don’t really need or even want in the first place. Impulse buying is just like that. It will make you feel good for a while but the buzz will soon fade because you’ll realize you spent your hard-earned money on nothing.

Items from a season ago

Be careful when buying items that are regularly upgraded. It’s okay to buy a winter jacket from the previous winter season, but it’s different when you are going to purchase a gadget or a device for your home. Normally, these stuff receive updates after a season or two. For example, you want to buy a mirrorless camera. Every six months or so, camera brands would come up with a new model with upgraded features and design. So, if you plan to buy one, do your research. Most of the time, the difference in price is just a couple of hundreds of dollars.

BoGo deals

Buy One, Get One (BoGo) deals are great. You get two items for the price of one, right? Not always! Some shops are unscrupulous enough that they price one item for the price of two items and then say it’s a BoGo deal. When buying food, make sure that it is not expired yet. Otherwise, you’re buying something you would have to throw away in a week or so.