THINK BEFORE YOU BUY
There are a lot of things we’re willing to splurge on without batting an eyelash. You get your bonus and a nearby mall (whose amazing payday and bonus radars are always on) decides to go on a massive sale which you wouldn’t want to miss. Okay, let me give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re not so much of a shopaholic, but it seems like everywhere you go, you are reminded of the sale.
In my radio show, I regularly play plugs for malls that go on sale. Given that you listen to the radio, you’re bound to hear about that sale and be reminded of it. If you go online, there are web ads that entice you to check out the sale (up to 70% off on all items). If you log into Facebook, a friend of yours would share the status update of that establishment on sale and when you go driving out, huge tarpaulins are plastered on street posts. There seems to be no escape. You try your best to hold on to your wallet but at some point you give in.
So you go to the mall and psyche yourself “I am not going to buy. I will just look. I have other expenses this month. No, I am not going to buy.” You saunter around, see people line up in the counter and that sort of derails you for a moment. “Ack! Ang haba ng pila, ayoko…” You turn your head and right before your eyes is a beautiful display of clothes on sale. You look away but a blouse in your favorite color catches your eye. It calls your name in a scene reminiscent of Rebecca Bloomwood’s shopping exploits in Confessions of a Shopaholic.
You walk towards the display and pull the item out; it looks pretty. You check the size and it’s perfect for you! Next thing you know, you’re in the fitting room trying it on.
DARN. The blouse looks amazing on you! You forget all sense of restraint and go straight to the check out lane. “I deserve to treat myself. Yes, I deserve this purchase.” While there isn’t anything entirely wrong with treating oneself SOMETIMES, that “sometimes” can become OFTEN if we do not practice self-control.
When you find yourself tempted to spend your hard-earned cash or whip out your credit card on a shopping spree, think about the following points:
-Do I really need to buy something new again? Why? Is there an event or an activity that specifies a type of clothing which I don’t already have?
-Can I get the same outfit elsewhere? Do I really need to buy it from an expensive store? Why?
-Is there something in my closet that’s similar to what I’m seeing?
Ingrid Nieto-Pagulayan 
I don't have the money, I love to buy a lot of things. If the money's in my hand, I suddenly what I'm planning to buy. Well, good thing that happens. I could save.
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