If you're anything like me, you have a nasty habit of buying things at the store that you don't need. You see something that looks delicious or is bright and shiny and you decide to throw it into your cart. Why do we do this? Well, we are hard-wired by evolution to do so. Just as with eating, our caveman roots cause us to consume as much as possible. This hereditary habit comes from a time when we weren't so lucky to have unlimited food and other goods available to us via stores, so our ancestors would hunt and gather as much as was possible for them. They didn't know if they'd have another chance at it, so they would consume everything in site. We still have this problem nagging us today. Even though we don't need many items at the store, this impulse kicks in and tells us to buy as much as possible. Wanna know an easy trick to overcome thousands of years of human habit? Skip the shopping cart. Just think about it: the less space you have to carry stuff, the less you'll buy. Instead, opt for a basket. Or even better yet, only buy what you can carry in your hands. Now I understand that this trick may not work if you're buying groceries for a lot of hungry mouths, but it does work for those buying just for themselves or those buying just a few items. Try it out a few times. I guarantee you will save a lot of money by avoiding impulse buys.
