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48 | SPRING 2018 Y ou walk into a store. The speakers are blaring an upbeat pop song. Your eyes catch the word "SALE" and your pulse starts to quicken. You tear through the racks of clothing or shelves of home goods trying to fi nd the best deal. Before you know it, you're walking out of the store two turtlenecks in tow and $100 lighter. "Shoppers respond really well to that feeling of discovering something that's unique, rare or valuable," says Dante Pirouz, assistant professor at the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University. That's what makes you tell yourself you're a "smart shopper" if you fi nd something for a good deal, even if you don't need it. Here are four ways to get yourself to look the other way. Four ways to save if you are a bargain addict Take the emotion out of it. Maybe you got laid off at work, or maybe you just got a raise. One can lead you to shop in sadness, the other in celebration. "Whether it be an emotional, situational or physiological trigger, shopping while experiencing extreme feelings of sadness or happiness can cause you to spend more," says April Lane Benson, Ph.D and author of To Buy or Not to Buy. The time to go shopping is when you're on an even keel — not sad, but not ecstatic either. Click unsubscribe. Is your inbox constantly getting fi lled with emails like "25% Off Today Only!" or "BOGO"? Like moths to a fl ame, they may be tempting you to spend on unnec- essary things. So unsubscribe to those deal newsletters. And while you're at it, consider getting rid of your store credit cards. They lure you in with the promise of rewards and friends and family days, but really they just want you to spend more, and often at a high-interest rate. Make it harder on yourself. Near the end of a transaction many online retailers will ask if you want to store your credit card online. Click no. "Make it harder for yourself to be impulsive," says Benson. When in doubt, wait it out. No purchase is so urgent, no bargain so rare, that you don't have time to research it thoroughly. Pirouz says that if a purchase is going to put a dent in her wallet, she tries to give herself a waiting period. Jean Chatzky is the Director of Education and Editor in Chief of SavvyMoney. She is a personal fi nance expert and best-selling author. To get your own fi nancial checkup with Savvy Money today, visit SavvyMoney.com/AACU. Written with Hattie Burgher. Financial Column