Brits waste billions on more tat

Bootski

bo_drinker wrote: »

Brits waste billions in January sales


by Rebecca Keary

High street shops may be booming as shoppers flock to bag a bargain – but consumers could be wasting vast sums of money on worthless purchases, according to new research. Are you one of them?

An estimated £5bn will be spent in the new year sales, according to financial services provider Bright Grey – but a whopping £2m of this is likely to be spent on things we don’t really need.

Shoppers, perhaps depressed by the gloomy weather and looking to cheer themselves up, are defying the credit crunch and splurging on unnecessary buys – which is great news for struggling high street brands, but could spell trouble for customers when the credit card bills thud onto the doormat.

More than half of the people surveyed by Bright Grey said they tended to shop spontaneously in the sales, while only 21% said they research purchases thoroughly online before buying.

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The research showed that men are the big spenders, forking out £56 more on average in the sales than the fairer sex, but women tend to buy more items that they never use.

In fact, an astonishing 57% of women have purchased clothes that haven't left the wardrobe since, according to Bright Grey, and 10% have even bought items a size smaller than their own, hoping to lose weight. Meanwhile, men make a beeline for the electronics departments, splurging on gadgets and TVs.

But are we putting our finances at risk? We are still in the grip of one of the worst recessions the country’s ever seen, after all.

"Christmas can be enough of a strain, without adding huge bills for impulse purchases in the sales," says Roger Edwards, proposition director at Bright Grey. "Games consoles, designer clothes, TVs – people always manage to justify these big-ticket items as being bargains.”

"The real shocker is the amount wasted in unsuitable purchases. It seems a lot of us are getting carried away with impulsive spending, but by simply cutting back a little we could put the money that's saved towards protecting our lifestyle and financial security in the event of a serious illness or prolonged time off work."

So how can you protect yourself from overspending – apart from staying away from the high street?

Next: Get paid to spend >>

& they can donate all that money to Haiti not to mention Children In Need raised more than ever before!
:beer:

RabbitMad

I would hate to be a shop worker in the run up to christmas. Who needs a turkey that singles merry christmas when you pull its neck, or reindeer that dance to santa clause is coming to town when you push a button.

Not to mention Billy Bass or that stupid fluorecent "thing" that counted down to the year 2,000 and then incorrectly announced "welcome to the new millenium" in a horrible shrill.

Still I'm one of those annoying people who sets all that tat of singing their insane little jingles just before I leave the shop.

Bootski

RabbitMad wrote: »

I would hate to be a shop worker in the run up to christmas. Who needs a turkey that singles merry christmas when you pull its neck, or reindeer that dance to santa clause is coming to town when you push a button.

Not to mention Billy Bass or that stupid fluorecent "thing" that counted down to the year 2,000 and then incorrectly announced "welcome to the new millenium" in a horrible shrill.

Still I'm one of those annoying people who sets all that tat of singing their insane little jingles just before I leave the shop.

I didn't quite get your point - are you rabid:rolleyes:

wolvoman

bo_drinker wrote: »

Brits waste billions in January sales


by Rebecca Keary

High street shops may be booming as shoppers flock to bag a bargain – but consumers could be wasting vast sums of money on worthless purchases, according to new research. Are you one of them?

An estimated £5bn will be spent in the new year sales, according to financial services provider Bright Grey – but a whopping £2m of this is likely to be spent on things we don’t really need.

Shoppers, perhaps depressed by the gloomy weather and looking to cheer themselves up, are defying the credit crunch and splurging on unnecessary buys – which is great news for struggling high street brands, but could spell trouble for customers when the credit card bills thud onto the doormat.

More than half of the people surveyed by Bright Grey said they tended to shop spontaneously in the sales, while only 21% said they research purchases thoroughly online before buying.

cards and loans
Find a 0% card 9.9% Blackhorse loan Barclaycard Platinum
The research showed that men are the big spenders, forking out £56 more on average in the sales than the fairer sex, but women tend to buy more items that they never use.

In fact, an astonishing 57% of women have purchased clothes that haven't left the wardrobe since, according to Bright Grey, and 10% have even bought items a size smaller than their own, hoping to lose weight. Meanwhile, men make a beeline for the electronics departments, splurging on gadgets and TVs.

But are we putting our finances at risk? We are still in the grip of one of the worst recessions the country’s ever seen, after all.

"Christmas can be enough of a strain, without adding huge bills for impulse purchases in the sales," says Roger Edwards, proposition director at Bright Grey. "Games consoles, designer clothes, TVs – people always manage to justify these big-ticket items as being bargains.”

"The real shocker is the amount wasted in unsuitable purchases. It seems a lot of us are getting carried away with impulsive spending, but by simply cutting back a little we could put the money that's saved towards protecting our lifestyle and financial security in the event of a serious illness or prolonged time off work."

So how can you protect yourself from overspending – apart from staying away from the high street?

Next: Get paid to spend >>

Is that a typo?

£2 million out of FIVE BILLION?
That's four one-hundredths of one percent. It's nothing.