Want To Save Money In 2017? Don’t Go Shopping If You’re In A Bad Mood

You know the way it’s said that you shouldn’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach because you’re more likely to by excess amounts of food and treats? Well, now social scientists are saying that you shouldn’t go shopping if you’re in a bad mood either as you’re likely to overspend.

There are certain things that we know December will bring; mainly less money. We waddle through the shops as we feel our precious money dwindling away as Christmas approaches; with the constant reminder that January is a very, very long month.

As a woman, it’s a *known fact that retail therapy makes us feel significantly better; even if it is only a momentary high. But a recent article in the?latest issue of Scientific American Mind explained that you’re more likely to overspend when you shop during a bad mood than you are if you’re feeling happy and positive.?*edit: not backed by science, but your best friend and sister will vouch for us.

Several studies have shown that when you experience a bad mood it can make you immune to things that would otherwise stop you from making an unwise decision – the calorie count of a snack, for example, or that bag you could never normally?afford.

In 2008, a study conducted by Jennifer Lerner – who co-founded Harvard’s Decision Sciences Laboratory ??found that sad participants were willing to shell out more for an item than those in a neutral emotional state.

Another study published in 2011 discovered that there is no actual link between spending more money and feeling good; that our bodies become “unconscious” to it – which is pretty scary considering how easy it is to purchase?the things we want from the comfort of our beds.

Want to save more money in 2017? Put the purse away and back away from the shop window slowly, say the experts.