Top ten tips to help you shop in Dubai Shopping Festival

Not all of us know how to shop smart; most of us usually spot something we like and run towards it like a mosquito to light. In shopping festivals that could be the worst thing you can do to your wallet. Here are 10 tips we’ve put together for you to take FULL advantage of the sales this season:
1. Don’t buy what you don’t need: most of us buy things just because they’re cheap and affordable. It doesn't matter if we’re going to wear them or not, we just get them anyway because they’re 80% off. That’s a very common mistake that you should avoid if you want to save money in sale season. Remember, a bargain is not a bargain if you won’t wear/ use it!
2. The salesperson is NOT your friend: no matter how smiley, friendly, supportive, and frank this person is, in the end they’re there to SELL you something. Don’t take their advice/ opinion to heart. Follow your gut, if you think something is too expensive, not worth the money, or doesn’t feel right on you, don't buy it!
3. Don’t buy on impulse: impulse buying is very common during sales season and shopping festivals. Before you purchase anything, ask yourself this: do I REALLY need it?!
4. Don’t shop when you’re bored, hungry, lonely, or upset: you’ll end up buying things you don’t need. Shopping is usually associated with a mood boost and that’s why women tend to shop when they’re not feeling really well. Over-shopping will not only leave you broke, but you’ll end up hating yourself the next day.
5. Avoid peer pressure: go shopping alone, taking a friend/ partner with you might alter your decision making process. When looking for clothes/ shoes to buy, you want something that YOU like, something that YOU would wear, something that YOU want, not anyone else. If you’re the kind of person that gets easily influenced by people’s opinions, go shopping alone.
6. Pick a right time: don’t go shopping right after work. Pick the right time to hit the stores (either really early, once the shops open, or really late) to avoid crowdedness. Shopping in a crowded environment could get you anxious and ruin the shopping experience for you.
7. Set a timeframe: don’t hit the mall for 7 hours straight. Set a time frame to avoid aimless wandering around the mall and shopping out of boredom.
8. Pay in cash: using your credit card will definitely cause you to over shop! Research suggests that paying with credit card causes us to shop more by at least 20- 50%. When you pay with cash, you’ll keep count of what you spent that day and how much you spent on what.
9. Set a budget: put a maximum limit for expenditure. Keep your budget in check by leaving the house with only that money, when you run out of money, you’ve hit the budget ceiling. Setting a budget will make you prioritize and will stop you from over shopping.
10. Buy what you NEED! Create a shopping list, a list of everything you’ve wanted to buy but didn’t have the money for. That shopping list will help you buy only the things you need. It’s ok to shift away from that list on one or two items as long as they’re within your budget but then again, sticking to the list will guarantee that you bought the things that will be of benefit later on.
Happy shopping people!