I want it!

People like free s%&*. And we will spend a lot of money to get it.

We have all been there. You’re in a clothing store and the buy one shirt, get one free sign catches your eye. You look at the rack. The form-fitting pink, baby tee with cap sleeves that has a random screen print of a unicorn and rainbow stairs back at you. You flip through the rack and grab your size. You stare begrudgingly at the shirt.

I loathe cap sleeves. My deodorant always manages to smear all over the shirt. And a baby tee in pastel pink? That will really show off my bra line and additional weight I’ve put on. Nothing like a form-fitting shirt that conforms to your problem areas. And what is with the unicorn and rainbow? I didn’t know unicorns were popular enough outside of elementary school to warrant their own product line.

As your hatred toward the shirt continues to grow, you catch the price tag. $10? Who would pay $10 for this? But I guess really it is only a $5 shirt since it is buy one, get one free, and that is reasonable. And the shade of pink isn’t that bad. The unicorn is actually kind of cute. I could easily pull this off if I lose 10 pounds and where a zip-up fleece over it.

You grab two shirts and make your way to the cashier beaming from ear to ear at the deal you just scored on something you never wanted.

When it comes to free stuff and bargains, we can talk ourselves into anything.

Women will buy more cosmetics to reach the gift with purchase level. We’ll sit through day-long, painful sales pitches for the promise of a reward. We eagerly jump from booth to booth at trade shows to pick up trivial swag that we will never use. As we partake in this strictly reward/price motivated consumption, something is happening – we are being sold on a brand. We have been marketed to.

If you fall into these traps, you will want to tune in next week. To be continued…
Now, go spend money on stuff you don’t want or need.