Sneaky store tricks to get you to spend

All of us love a deal when we're shopping. But it turns out many of the things we purchase in stores are not quite the deals they appear to be.

Instead, it's slick retail marketing: As retailers use tricks to get us to buy things we had no intention of buying when we first walked into the store.

All of us do it

Admit it. All of us have made impulse purchases while shopping. Donna Shambley-Ebron is a college professor who's an expert in marketing.

But even she admits when she walks into a big box or department store to buy one or two items, she still walks out with other things she wasn't planning to buy.

Donna told me, "if you go in and don't have a plan, it's real easy to pick up things that are unnecessary and don't really need."

That's exactly what stores want. Moneywatch.com calls it "pricing psychology," and lists some tricks retailers use to get you to buy more.

Limit 5 Items

Among them: The "5 per customer limit," which makes you think the item is red hot and scarce.

"I say to myself, I could get 5 of these, maybe I should get them, when you don't really need them," Donna said.

99 cent trick

Another trick, according to Moneywatch: Big promotions with prices ending in 99 like a box of Tide detergent for $17.99. Come on, we all know it's really 18 dollars. This is even more effective if an item is $99.99.

Location, location, location

And if they put that promotion on an endcap, or at the entrance, Donna says it can be doubly hard to resist.  Nothing like seeing that big display of brand new fall jackets as soon as you walk into the store. Cha-ching. Or for men, the display of power drills and sanders at the entrance of the big box hardware store.  Double cha-ching.

"Right at the beginning of your shopping trip, it's right what you see there. It's very strategic ,especially for women," Donna said.

No more dollar signs

Another trick appearing more and more in high end stores and restaurants, according to Moneywatch: The removal of dollar signs.

For instance, we found a restaurant menu showing a New York Strip Steak with no dollar sign. And yes, it looks cheaper at just "38" than if it said $38.

10 for 10 and BoGo

Two more tricks: 10 for 10. We all know you don't really have to buy 10, and that it really means one item for $1 at most grocery stores. But many shoppers still buy 10.

And finally BoGo, or buy one get one free (or at half price.) Moneywatch says shoppers can't resist BoGo, and often buy two pairs of shoes this way, when they never even planned on buying one pair in the first place.

That's a $60 impulse purchase.

It's happened to Donna. She said, "if it looks like something I really like, I purchase it. A lot of times I really don't need it!"

What you can do

Retailers and restaurants all want you to think you landed a good deal when you made a purchase.

So its a good idea to be prepared for the come ons, the two-fer offers, and the great displays that await you when you walk into many stores these days.

If you are planning to buy two things, try to resist the urge to buy 5 more, knowing the psychology stores are using.

That way you don't waste your money.

__________________________

Don't Waste Your Money is a registered trademark of the EW Scripps Co.

"Like" John Matarese on Facebook