Waste Not, Want Not

Interactive Video

[A woman sitting in front of her computer deep in thought.]

Narrator: Shoshonna has to stop quickly at the store for a couple items. 

[A grocery store parking lot on a warm sunny day. A grocery list with “milk” and “paper towels” written on it appears on the screen.]

Umm . . . that’s far more than what was on her list.

[Shoshanna standing in a grocery aisle with an orange arm basket full of groceries. Her thought bubble contains the list of two items she originally came for.]

Have you ever gone into a store to buy one item and walked out with a basket or cart full of things?

[Multiple choice question: Have you ever gone into a store to buy one item and walked out with a basket or cart full of things?] 

Option 1: Yes

Option 2: No

Option 3: Probably

Option 4: I’m not sure]

This can be lightheartedly referred to as “retail therapy” but it’s simply impulse buying, which is largely related to emotions. 

[A woman smiling as she completes her purchase at a clothing store. Text “retail therapy” appears. “Retail therapy” is replaced by “impulse buying”.

“This is so cute; I have to have it.” “I’ve had a good week. I deserve a treat.” “I’ve had a crappy week. Why not get something to make myself feel better?” Any of these thoughts sound familiar?

[Text “impulse buying” is shown in the center of the screen. Emojis with various emotions such as: joy, anger, sadness, and frustration bounce around the screen.]

Nowadays, spending temptations are everywhere! Commercials, big sales, and social media constantly present tempting new things to buy.

[Multiple advertisements for sales appear on the screen in an arc. The advertisements read:

Last-Minute Offer

Find Your Must-Haves

Blowout Sale

Best Deal

Final Sale

Mega Sale

50% off
Sale Sale Sale]

Did you know that many social media platforms track where you go on the Internet and what you look at?  That’s why that ad pops up today for that pair of shoes you were looking at last night! 

[A girl lying on her side surfing the web on her laptop. An ad for shoes 40% off appears on her cell phone.]

And if you have already saved your  credit card or payment app information on a site, impulse buying gets that much easier. One click and done!

[A young man looking intently at the cell phone he is holding in his hand. An icon of a credit card appears. The credit card is replaced by an icon of a computer mouse selecting “buy”.]

According to Jonathan Kiehl, a certified financial planner, “Spending is an attempt to relive or get back to the way a purchase made us feel in the past, or to kind of mask a feeling.” 

We tend to pursue what makes us feel good. But that feeling is usually temporary.

[A young man smiling as he holds the new pair of shoes he has just taken from the box.The same young man peering into the empty shoe box with his hand on his head as if regretting the decision to purchase the shoes.]

Ever ask yourself: “why did I buy that” a couple days later”?

That’s because “want” is in control at the moment. And when “want” is in control, overspending can happen very easily and without thinking. It’s ok that “Want” hangs around. “Need” just has to have more control and a louder voice in your head.

[A person’s silhouette appears with a large “W” sitting on one shoulder. The thought bubble says, “Yes, buy it!”. An even larger “N” appears on the other shoulder with a thought bubble that says, “Think about what you are doing.” The “W” and its thought bubble shrink in size.]

When “Need” is in control, you are prioritizing your needs first, weighing the pros and cons of a “want” purchase, and making well-thought out money choices.

[A woman in a thinking position with a small “W” on one shoulder. There is a much larger “N” on the other shoulder with a thought bubble that says, “Prioritize your needs.” The “W” has a thought bubble that says, “This will look so great on you . . . “. The “W” thought bubble is replaced with, “Buy it now.”. The “N” thought bubble is replaced with, “Slow down and think about it.”]

To help "Need" stay in control, be aware of your spending habits and recognize times when you spend unnecessarily.

[The same woman is shown. There is a small “W” on one shoulder and a larger “N” on the other shoulder. She is smiling and pointing at the “N”. Its thought bubble says, “Be aware of your spending habits.” The woman thrusts the “W” from her shoulder and it falls off the screen.]

You have a choice in everything you do in life. Wasteful spending can be managed with simply pausing before you act. (And that pause can be a few moments, a day, or a week - the longer the better to give you time to think.)

[An overhead view shows a pair of shoes standing on concrete. On the concrete are three arrows pointing in different directions. Money is shown sliding on one arrow, then stops, and a pause icon appears over it. A day calendar is shown. It is replaced by a weekly calendar. The weekly calendar is replaced by a monthly calendar.]

Think about why you want this. Weigh that against other things that you need or want in life or things you are working on achieving. Will this purchase help you or hold you back? And, is it worth it?

[A woman sitting in front of her computer deep in thought. A bulleted list appears:

• What do you want or need?
• Will this help you or hold you back?
• Is it worth it?]

If you’ve heard the old adage “don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach” because you might buy non-nutritious food, think the same way about shopping.

[Two young adults sitting on the floor in an aisle of a grocery store shoving potato chips in their mouths. Another image appears of a young woman surrounded by colorful shopping bags motioning “time out” with her hands.]

Avoid browsing online shops or walking the aisles at your favorite big box store when you’re feeling impulsive or if “Want” is loud and present.

[The word “AVOID” is shown vertically in the center of the screen. On one side of the word, “AVOID” is a man making a purchase on his phone with a credit card. On the other side of the word is a woman browsing in a candle store, smelling candles. A large “W” appears.]

Save up the moments when “Want” gets to win. It will make those purchases more meaningful and valuable to you!

[A smiling young woman looking at guitars in a music store.]