I have never been a big spender. I know if I buy some expensive toy (iPod, nice phone, etc) it’s only a matter of time before it gets broken or lost. Also, unless I have to, I rarely wear more than gym shorts and a t-shirt. I find it comfortable, and it’s just what I’ve always done. With such seemingly simple taste, it one would think I would have no problem saving my money for the things I really want. However, my tight spending does not apply to all aspects of my life – I am a sucker for novelty items. Whether it is a full-out costume for a theme party, or just some random oddity that I find hilarious, I can’t help myself. If I see something that makes me laugh, buying it is my knee jerk reaction. I won’t splurge on a nice new shirt, that I could actually wear with some regularity, yet this weekend I found myself dropping $50 on a pirate outfit for a party, just because I couldn’t stop laughing at myself once I tried it on. Places like South of the Border or Mega Thrift are gold mines to me.
This is not a recent development either. My entire life I have spent my money on random odds and ends instead of practical, sensible purchases. Fireworks, fake dog crap, fuzzy dice, Mr. T shirts – you name it, I have probably bought it at some point. I was the kid who went to New York, and instead of getting an I Love NY shirt, me and my friends bought mock Tag Team Champions of the World wrestling belts. I often catch grief from family and friends alike for “stupidly” spending my money on pointless things, but to me it doesn’t matter. I don’t buy these things for their practicality or because I think I’ll get a lot of use out of them, but because, to me, there is so much more to the purchase than the item itself.
I could buy a regular shirt, wear it 100 times, and never think twice about it. But a novelty item has a distinct memory attached to it. It has character, and specific associations. I can look at various items I’ve bought over the years, and instantly have certain memories come to my mind. Novelty items get limited use, so each time there is a memorable quality about it. Much like you can look at a photo album or an important possession and stir up memories, I can look at an outfit, or hat, or t-shirt and remember where and when I wore it. Often times, whatever it is I’ve just bought gets ruined or lost quickly, but this is of little consequence to me. As I said, the purchase isn’t so much about the item itself as it is about the experience involved.
So, while some may see it as a waste of money, I see my affinity for novelty items as a way of creating good memories for myself. I can remember the great time I had on a given night each time I see something, plus I never think it’s a bad idea to have some random clothes stockpiled. You never know when the appropriate occasion for a Batman suit or American flag bandana may arise.
- Zan Smith is a senior BEM Major with a Marketing Concentration, and an impulse buyer.
I too know what it is like to be an impulse buyer. I feel that this is a good area to look at for the decision making process. What exactly happens during this process that makes us disregard the effect that the purchase will have on our wallets? First, we recognize that we want a particular item even if it is simply for one occasion (for example, you mentioned the pirate outfit). I think that in the moment, when the pirate outfit or some similar spontaneous desire grabs our attention, we overvalue the “problem” that is presented. One starts to think, “Wow I actually could really use this for an upcoming event. Actually, I need something like this for the upcoming event.”
ReplyDeleteWhen we start to view the problem as larger than it really is, the rest of our decision making process becomes extremely skewed. What results is, we don’t spend enough time searching for information or properly evaluate the alternatives. One becomes so transfixed on this “immediate” problem and a logical way to fix it. We narrow down our product choice to the item that we see right in front of us. Instead of asking, “Is there something better I can get for less money?” We tell ourselves, “This is the only thing available and if I don’t buy it there will be no other alternative.” Essentially what this results in is a large purchase on a spontaneous item. Yet, as you mentioned, these items create fond memories. Who knows, maybe impulse purchases aren’t so bad after all.
-Adam Hanson