The book "30 Days to Stop Being a Shopaholic" by Harper Daniels is good. It uses a mindfulness and meditation approach to get to the root. It's fun too. It's easy to overspend without the right perspective of self.
If you have an executive function disorder that causes impulse control problems, there is a pain of waiting that is really difficult to fight. It's like you suddenly really need this thing you want and no matter how much you try to fight the urge, you can't stop thinking about it.
Using cash doesn't slow me down. If I have cash in my hand, I think, "Oh look I can buy this thingy right now!" But if I have some sort of card, credit or debit, I have to think "What else have I used this card for? Do I have the money available? "You know, now that I think about it, I don't need that thingy anyway."
Wow never met anyone like that. Me and my closes friends/family usually when holding all them cash in our hands makes us rethink the purchase. While online shopping is just 2 click and your are done. Or sliding the credit card, easy. It's not everyday I hold 300+ euros in my hands.
LazyRock Yeah, and when you spend all your cash it’s just gone. If you swipe your card and overdraw, you’re pummeled with horrible fees and have to pay so much more. You interest rate goes up, you credit rating goes down, and you have extra fees. You have to be careful with a card.
Yeah I'm the same way kinda. I never have cash, so when I do have it it's normally because it's a gift or something. So it feels more spendable to me I guess. But my debit card money is like... just all my money. So I don't like to see it go down. If it's cash it doesn't feel like part of my actual savings.
angelcollina I used to think that way too. I felt that the cash was separate from my mental budget in my checking account, so I could spend it at the movies without wincing. I finally had a withdraw a set amount of money for things like food and eating out each month. THAT'S when I started thinking, shoot! If I spend my food money at McDonalds, I won't be able to get groceries in a few weeks. My spending went way down after that.
Same. I think part of it is terror of an overdraw fee. I like to have as much surplus in my account due to all my automatic payments. I'm also always checking my account balance. Maybe it's a generation thing? Due to all the online and electronic transactions money in your account seems more 'real' and you feel more of a loss than physical money.
maximizers regret more as they continously "check" their purchase. "is it REALLY as reasearched?" "is everything working at 100%?" after that much research you expect a product "as on paper" but lots of times little insignificant defects come along and then you are not satisfied. also there will always be the capability limit of that particular thing you bought, which at the time was far away, but after intense use (as a maximizer should do) you'll hit the limit and then you regret not getting the deluxe model. or else you find you never used a feature you planned for and regret not buying the not-so-deluxe model. - a maximizer (i waited 6 months to get my actual phone after i decided i needed a new one, luckly i enjoy it) ps. automation is a huge relief
bamischijfje123 not defects on specs, defects on production. it happens to have not-100% working device. i bought a mac like 8 yrs ago and the first that arrives was slightly bent, you couls notice it only by putting it on a very very flat surface and touching the diagonal extremites; it was lile 0.5 mm, max 1mm, but it was bent and it was a production defects. (ofc i got a change)
So working in retail I’ve learned certain words can really affect people into buying things. “It’s ONLY $x.xx” , “This is on sale TODAY” even though it’s on sale all the time, saying today makes people think they’ll miss it if they don’t get it today. also making people think if they don’t buy something, something negative will happen works great. “Buy this cleaner to get rid of HARMFUL bacteria”
THANK YOU for actually giving us not only the raw information, but ways we can be more aware and take care of ourselves depending on our tendencies! Providing not only insightful, but actionable information is what I love about psychology!
I grew up with electronic purchasing and the Internet, so I actually find that cash feels like "play money". Once I have cash in my hands, it's like disposable crap that I'll spend pretty easily compared to using a card, entering numbers online or my PIN in person.
I'm the opposite. It's so easy to swipe a card or pay by phone. Since I rarely have cash in my hands, when I do, I forget about it and it sits in my purse for a while.
@Yushatak I can relate to that, I think twice before buying something on amazon that cost 20 bucks (do I really need this), then I spent 20 bucks (cash) in candy minutes later.
Yup. For me, cash is just a wad of money with value unknown until I'm actually arsed to count it. But my debit card? One tap and I see just how little money I have.
Agreed I do the same thing. One trip to the corner store and my cash is gone. But I will agonize over every penny on something I've been looking to buy for months if it's on my card.
at 4:19 - Get out of my spreadsheets, Hank! :p However, I am actually happy with my purchases, because once I've made my decision, I don't look back. :)
I calculated the dollar per inch of screen of all the TV's in the store before buying the one I liked in the first place. It helped me to be sure that the one I wanted was not a bad decision after all.
Why, even being a tightward maximizer, I get these random "I shall buy everything what I see" strokes? I usually buy when I know I need something and even then spend plenty of time thinking of "can I afford this" and "do I really need this". Can "the need to buy" build up somehow and then it just comes like a gasm and I have no idea why do I suddently have a go kart, +50 inch tv, used traffic lights, popcorn maker and where the heck did my money dissapeared to...?
Niko Nissinen i get you. When i see some random interesting stuff on the internet i wanted it so bad. But thankfully my parents (both tightwad) lives in the same house. So when i remember what will happen if that thing got delivered to my front door while I'm out, i didn't buy it
I’m an advertisers worst nightmare, I know all the tricks and only buy what I need. plus depression kinda removes most pleasure from life, so it doesn’t work on me anyway
you've summed me up perfectly.. im a maximizer. I will look for hours over details and videos and look at things in person, only to buy something and be unhappy with it.. so I'll buy the replacement and maybe be unhappy with that too. It needs to be perfect to me.
This got me close to home. I actually have a massive spreadsheet of computer hardware and it's abilities to price ratios I made before MAXIMIZING my GAMING BATTLE-STATION.
I know I make decision matrices on any new buy that could cost more than $100 I thought that’s because I’m a math person, but turns out it’s because I’m a maximizer
King 51 I’m not talking about writing things I’m buying. I was referring to finding multiple options of a big item with different prices and qualities. For example, when buying an oven, it wasn’t all about the price but also the features of each option and how important these options were for us.
I’m a maximizer and my partner is a satisficer. He has had a lot of buyers remorse on products that didn’t end up working well. So now he tells me what item he wants to buy (usually online purchases) and what he wants it for so that I can find the right one(brand) that will best serve the purpose. So far this has been working well he trusts my judgement.
X'D I just did that spreadsheet with buying parts for a new gaming rig. It hurt so much spending my hard-earned money but I'm starting to get the parts and can't wait to build.
I have really enjoyed these videos on how we make decisions and are influenced when it comes to spending. It has really caused me to reevaluate the way make look the purchases I intend to make. Thanks.
That opening sentence had me chuckling. That’s an accomplishment right now, because it’s early, my throat hurts, I have a cough, and a few other things. So kudos to you, SciShow.
Whenever I think that I am about to buy something out of impulse, I try to sleep on it first. It doesn't help much, though. I always end up buying the thing the day after.
One thing you didn't mention: while the nucleus accumbens controls joy and reward, and the insula controls disgust and pain expectations, the mesial prefrontal cortex is the center of "worth it or not". The prefrontal cortex in general is all about judgment and decision-making; the mesial part of it seems to calculate the difference between what you're willing to pay and what it actually costs, then decides if it's worth it after all. Also, does the unnecessary "c" in "satisficer" bother anyone else? Like... why not just call it "satisfier"? Wouldn't that make more sense? /nitpicking
I might have been able to agree with you, but your first paragraph made just about zero actual sense, ignoring the irony. I know that you're probably ESL (I hope, lol), but still, just read your sentences one more time before posting, preferably out loud, and there's no way you would be able to let half your sentences go in their current form.
IceMetalPunk the root "fic" in the word "satisficer" is derived from the Latin verb "facere," which means, 'to make or do.' Satis is also a Latin word which means, 'enough.' So, the word "satisficer" literally means 'to make enough, or do enough.'
I recently started working at Dollar Tree, and I leave with something at least a quarter of the time because I'm a sucker for that "everything's a dollar" crap.
I‘ve gotta say though, actual money like coins and bills mean much less to me than seeing that number on my bank account get smaller and smaller with each individual purchase. Because actual money is just, y‘know, gone. You spent it, it‘s over, but you also already took it from your bank account so to me it already feels like I don‘t have it anymore and I don‘t feel as bad for spending it. But seeing that I spend a good 30 bucks on chips and energy drinks? That hits me right where it hurts 💀
sc0608023 personally i will hate myself and regret after buying. Asking why i buy the wrong things. So the best solution is don’t buy or wait a few years. Because most items will reveal their true self after few years of criticism.
I pick up the candy, put it in my cart, take a good look, then quickly put it back. When I get home and look for it I remember putting it back but it is too late. Lost 25 pounds since I started. ;)
I'm so indecisive when I shop and I end up putting half of it back. But the worst part is when I get home and think about it and regret not buying those items I put back.
I'm definitely a maximizer, and I regret my purchases pretty regularly, so much so that I dread having to buy anything beyond food and gas (well, food sometimes too).
I'm both of these types sometimes. I will totally make a spreadsheet for my new computer and spend a week reading reviews, but paying for something I need or want doesn't cause me much pain. I just want to feel like I've made a somewhat informed decision and then I'll happily shell out. The "wait for a few days before making a purchase and when I still want it, I get it" tactic really works for someone like me.
Im an ultra maximizer super tightwad and I really feel the agony of paying especially for none-essential things others make me pay for. But when I get a good deal on something I really need or want is money well spent and have no regrets I usually wait for things to drop their price and buy once expensive things like electronics and stuff.
The Pain of Paying... What a great name! I'm very much familiar with that. I put off getting glasses for years because I was daunted by how much it might cost, and have been suffering through a computer that won't come out of hibernate reliably for about five years because I can't stand the thought of having to shell out $1000 for a new motherboard, processor and memory.
I'm a maximizer and decisions are always hard, but when I finally decide, I'm very happy with them, because I know I made the best decision based on what I know at the time.
I am definitely in the "maximizer" camp. Unless it's something basic like TP, I will research the hell out of a product. I spent 2 hours reading specs and watching reviews before buying a radio, And I mean a normal AM/FM/SW radio, Not sophisticated "ham" gear. I order my PCs "custom" - I never bought one "of the rack". I wish I could do this with phones, LOL.
I want to point out that in all the years of putting chocolates in front of me at the cash register, nothing has caused me to spend more money than Snickers putting whimsical words on their wrappers, such as Fiesty, Spacey, Loopy, Grouchy, or Cranky. My excitement came entirely from the novelty of the words themselves, and the snickers bar became the icing on the cake, that tipped the scale. I, in full knowledge of what I was doing, paid a dollar for a word on a shiny wrapper, that just happened to have a candy bar attached to it. I regret nothing.
Wish they credited your name. I've seen a few of your psychology videos on TH-cam and think you're an amazing presenter and speaker. Not sure who writes the content but also very amazing. Thank you :)
I'm for sure a tightwad maximizer but not on the extreme end. Like one day I was at Best Buy exploring options for a gaming laptop that I don't need right now but am considering for sometime in the future. Salespeople annoy me SO MUCH it's like ugh, just leave me alone, I don't need you pressuring me into buying something I might regret/decide I don't need. But I'm not a heartless jerk, I let them play their game and at the end I just say "I'll need to check my finances to see if I can afford this" and I take some pics of the item/items I'm looking at with price tags and leave the store. Even if I know I can afford whatever it is I'm looking at that's what I'll say to salespeople and it seems to have worked so far.
I notice I can really obsess on getting something, and usually cool down after mere days. I'm pretty much the definition of an impulse buyer but I learned how to handle it basically. Little tip I have: wait 2 weeks before spending high amounts.
Literally did this with a new pc, spent 4 months of reviews waiting for new products to come out, looking at comparisons of parts, prices ect and ended up not happy with my purchase, I'm not unhappy but not as happy as I expected, for such a powerful pc that I use every day, but as I had gotten along without it for so long before it pains me to have spent so much, even though i know I got a excellent machine and a good price
The book "30 Days to Stop Being a Shopaholic" by Harper Daniels is good. It uses a mindfulness and meditation approach to get to the root. It's fun too. It's easy to overspend without the right perspective of self.
strange, i have a lot easier time spending from cash then i do debit. (can't speak of credit. i have never spent from a pool of money i never had in the first place. except when daydreaming of buying something) when i am carrying cash i am much more likely to make a impulsive purchase. having multiple "pools" of money i think is part of it. as i know stuff like food and bills comes out of debit. the cash usually was assigned somewhere. i tend to forget that though and just spend it
Here's something to ponder: Money you can't see is easier to spend. Right? Not in all cases. I've been playing MMOs for over 14 years now, in which spending in-game gold is just as hard a decision as in real life. Even though I know I will be getting that money back in a few days. I was an impulse buyer back when I got payed in cash. But for the past few years I've been receiving my pay on my bank account, and the urge to just go online and buy stuff has nearly dissapeared, I'm spending much more time thinking about it. My conclusion is: Managing virtual currencies in a game tought me to handle real-world digital money much better, because the process is almost identical. I hope I made sense, it's kinda early here and I haven't slept much :D (gotta get those epics!)
Tightwad and maximizer here. I also always use the actual, paper money least I am purchasing something online obviously. It's also inarguable that your electronic money can be abused relatively easily, which is not the case with actual money and precious physical objects. That being said though, I'm far from being immune to impulse purchases. Sometimes If I'm feeling down, or anxious, or simply upset and angry I'll be far more prone to have an impulse purchase than otherwise. Which is why I wonder if the overall mental state can have effect on how we spend money too, besides these character traits they described in the video.
I think the terms "tightwad" and "maximizer" describe me pretty well. I literally open a spreadsheet filled with the parts of the computer I'm building (I did the same for my bicycle) and it can take a few months before I finish buying all the parts. Also, the "pain of paying" describes pretty well how I pay for things. However, since I began working and having a stable source of income, that pain has been reduced a lot. I still calculate how much something is going to cost me if I pay for it using my credit card, both the total and the individual dues.
4:40 this makes sense with a phenomena in the automotive industry I've noticed. I don't have a name for it, but it's basically a law that if a car contains some recognizable elements of a traditional established segment of car (suv, family sedan, sports car, ect.) it will find some customers. Even if the there is a better version of the same car in every fashion (cheaper, safer better fuel economy, ect.) available, even if it's on the same lot.
Barry Schwartz did a great Ted Talk on The Paradox of Choice (the idea that the more options we have, the less happy we are when we make a decision because there's a greater chance we could have done better).
I kind of agree with what other people are saying: it's not like I have large amounts of money outside of my bank account and I don't always consider it part of the "money I have" aka the number I see on my online statement- so cash is kind of easy to spend. There's no bank statment saying "I blew this on booze". I'm a pretty big tightwad with my debit card, but while I was inbetween jobs and using my credit card for groceries it was really easy to not know what an "appropriate" amount to spend with my fake money was.
Maximizer Here lol fit every description you gave! Except I'm usually happy with what I get. And yes I just got a new phone a week ago using that method xD
I'm a maximizer for sure. But generally the spreadsheet making is for online orders when I have time to research and think it out. I always feel super depressed and awful when I make a purchase but almost in every case, by the time the item ships and gets to my door I'm really happy and excited. I'm proud of my perfect purchase and I never want to let go of it. Even if its a 10 year outdated laptop I never use. It's like a trophy. Also I run through cash waaay faster because every time I see a homeless person I can't say no if I have any on me.
$3 bothered me when I got the entire Half-Life series on sale, even though I've been looking forward to them for years. I still found a way to regret it. Edit after watching video: I'm definitely a price maximiser.
After not eating all day i have to walk past a fast food place on my way home, which is really tempting because it has stuff on the menu I like, but i dont want to spend money but im so hungry and if i dont eat I know it'll be hours before i get another chance to eat, its really hard to resist but i often do.
I am a tightwad to the extreme. I only buy something if I need it to stay alive or mentally sane. I have never impulse bought something before. Maybe I'm weird but I find it baffling how ppl can spend hundreds of dollars in a single day on things they weren't planning on buying.
"The pain of paying." I guess you could call it the _payn._
The book "30 Days to Stop Being a Shopaholic" by Harper Daniels is good. It uses a mindfulness and meditation approach to get to the root. It's fun too. It's easy to overspend without the right perspective of self.
*closes amazon tab*
If you have an executive function disorder that causes impulse control problems, there is a pain of waiting that is really difficult to fight. It's like you suddenly really need this thing you want and no matter how much you try to fight the urge, you can't stop thinking about it.
Using cash doesn't slow me down. If I have cash in my hand, I think, "Oh look I can buy this thingy right now!" But if I have some sort of card, credit or debit, I have to think "What else have I used this card for? Do I have the money available? "You know, now that I think about it, I don't need that thingy anyway."
Wow never met anyone like that. Me and my closes friends/family usually when holding all them cash in our hands makes us rethink the purchase. While online shopping is just 2 click and your are done. Or sliding the credit card, easy. It's not everyday I hold 300+ euros in my hands.
LazyRock Yeah, and when you spend all your cash it’s just gone. If you swipe your card and overdraw, you’re pummeled with horrible fees and have to pay so much more. You interest rate goes up, you credit rating goes down, and you have extra fees. You have to be careful with a card.
Yeah I'm the same way kinda. I never have cash, so when I do have it it's normally because it's a gift or something. So it feels more spendable to me I guess. But my debit card money is like... just all my money. So I don't like to see it go down. If it's cash it doesn't feel like part of my actual savings.
angelcollina
I used to think that way too. I felt that the cash was separate from my mental budget in my checking account, so I could spend it at the movies without wincing.
I finally had a withdraw a set amount of money for things like food and eating out each month. THAT'S when I started thinking, shoot! If I spend my food money at McDonalds, I won't be able to get groceries in a few weeks.
My spending went way down after that.
Same. I think part of it is terror of an overdraw fee. I like to have as much surplus in my account due to all my automatic payments. I'm also always checking my account balance. Maybe it's a generation thing? Due to all the online and electronic transactions money in your account seems more 'real' and you feel more of a loss than physical money.
I'm not a tightwad, I'm just poor lol
That wasnt savage, that was lame. Try harder.
Im poor too but I need my magic the gathering cards :(
Thats something only a dingus would say!
Ghazali Daud we all have our priorities lol
microbuilder 😂🤣😂🤣
So.. I don't NEED this dancing Santa that sings 'White Christmas' and scares the willies out of the dog?
New Message, it’s you again :) happy boxing day
Same to you, rewer :)
Oh Please post a video of that lol
No, you really need that.
New Message no that you need
I bought a Fitbit and similar devices to measure my heart rate.
I'm not... Impulse Buying, "I'm Pulse Buying."
Master Therion useless tech lol
So useless lol but I used to desire that too
Two drums and a cymbal fall down a cliff - *badum-tsss*
Astra7525 yesssssss, I love Matt and Tom
Masks a Twitter and just pun all day.
*cough* Steam sales *cough*
I wish January 4 come soon or else i'll be fighting with myself for "NO!! No more 1 more game on discount"
Impulsive upvote for old DBZ reference that I never get sick of.
I impulsively voted for trump
I'm sorry to hear that.
Love the Vegeta reference.
maximizers regret more as they continously "check" their purchase. "is it REALLY as reasearched?" "is everything working at 100%?" after that much research you expect a product "as on paper" but lots of times little insignificant defects come along and then you are not satisfied.
also there will always be the capability limit of that particular thing you bought, which at the time was far away, but after intense use (as a maximizer should do) you'll hit the limit and then you regret not getting the deluxe model. or else you find you never used a feature you planned for and regret not buying the not-so-deluxe model.
- a maximizer
(i waited 6 months to get my actual phone after i decided i needed a new one, luckly i enjoy it)
ps. automation is a huge relief
bamischijfje123
not defects on specs, defects on production. it happens to have not-100% working device. i bought a mac like 8 yrs ago and the first that arrives was slightly bent, you couls notice it only by putting it on a very very flat surface and touching the diagonal extremites; it was lile 0.5 mm, max 1mm, but it was bent and it was a production defects.
(ofc i got a change)
So working in retail I’ve learned certain words can really affect people into buying things. “It’s ONLY $x.xx” , “This is on sale TODAY” even though it’s on sale all the time, saying today makes people think they’ll miss it if they don’t get it today. also making people think if they don’t buy something, something negative will happen works great. “Buy this cleaner to get rid of HARMFUL bacteria”
IT'S OVER 9000!
Was Looking for this comment
At first I thought: Why does he have a scouter!?
I truly loled when I got it after reading the text.
If I got 9k on a biweekly check I would at 3k and save the rest
THANK YOU for actually giving us not only the raw information, but ways we can be more aware and take care of ourselves depending on our tendencies! Providing not only insightful, but actionable information is what I love about psychology!
I grew up with electronic purchasing and the Internet, so I actually find that cash feels like "play money". Once I have cash in my hands, it's like disposable crap that I'll spend pretty easily compared to using a card, entering numbers online or my PIN in person.
I'm the opposite. It's so easy to swipe a card or pay by phone. Since I rarely have cash in my hands, when I do, I forget about it and it sits in my purse for a while.
@Yushatak I can relate to that, I think twice before buying something on amazon that cost 20 bucks (do I really need this), then I spent 20 bucks (cash) in candy minutes later.
Yup. For me, cash is just a wad of money with value unknown until I'm actually arsed to count it. But my debit card? One tap and I see just how little money I have.
Agreed I do the same thing. One trip to the corner store and my cash is gone. But I will agonize over every penny on something I've been looking to buy for months if it's on my card.
I totally agree with this. That cash disappears so fast
at 4:19 - Get out of my spreadsheets, Hank! :p
However, I am actually happy with my purchases, because once I've made my decision, I don't look back. :)
Same
I calculated the dollar per inch of screen of all the TV's in the store before buying the one I liked in the first place. It helped me to be sure that the one I wanted was not a bad decision after all.
I actually built the PC myself and listed all the components...But now my computer is great so yay for planning maximizers? :D
I'm right there with you guys. I'm just upset that the whole bitcoin thing has VGA prices hijacked.
As an impulsive buyer I couldn't agree more with the "don't look back" philosophy.
Why, even being a tightward maximizer, I get these random "I shall buy everything what I see" strokes? I usually buy when I know I need something and even then spend plenty of time thinking of "can I afford this" and "do I really need this". Can "the need to buy" build up somehow and then it just comes like a gasm and I have no idea why do I suddently have a go kart, +50 inch tv, used traffic lights, popcorn maker and where the heck did my money dissapeared to...?
Niko Nissinen i get you. When i see some random interesting stuff on the internet i wanted it so bad. But thankfully my parents (both tightwad) lives in the same house. So when i remember what will happen if that thing got delivered to my front door while I'm out, i didn't buy it
Appreciate the over 9000 joke.
I’m an advertisers worst nightmare, I know all the tricks and only buy what I need. plus depression kinda removes most pleasure from life, so it doesn’t work on me anyway
Holly Targaryen depression sucks!
you've summed me up perfectly.. im a maximizer. I will look for hours over details and videos and look at things in person, only to buy something and be unhappy with it.. so I'll buy the replacement and maybe be unhappy with that too. It needs to be perfect to me.
An "Over 9000" meme throwback? Lawl
This is why SciShow is one of my favorite channels.
Thanks for helping me laugh and learn.
2:37 Thank you, thank you so much.
You made my day so much better having that DBZ scouter so nicely motion tracked.
This got me close to home. I actually have a massive spreadsheet of computer hardware and it's abilities to price ratios I made before MAXIMIZING my GAMING BATTLE-STATION.
I know I make decision matrices on any new buy that could cost more than $100
I thought that’s because I’m a math person, but turns out it’s because I’m a maximizer
Math Pi Hanan
That’s too much I will never understand people who have to write out what they are buying
You should know your budget
King 51 I’m not talking about writing things I’m buying. I was referring to finding multiple options of a big item with different prices and qualities. For example, when buying an oven, it wasn’t all about the price but also the features of each option and how important these options were for us.
Shoutout to 2:38 's fantastically subtle nerd humor. A++, my friends.
I’m a maximizer and my partner is a satisficer. He has had a lot of buyers remorse on products that didn’t end up working well. So now he tells me what item he wants to buy (usually online purchases) and what he wants it for so that I can find the right one(brand) that will best serve the purpose. So far this has been working well he trusts my judgement.
I need to control my spending.
X'D I just did that spreadsheet with buying parts for a new gaming rig. It hurt so much spending my hard-earned money but I'm starting to get the parts and can't wait to build.
I have really enjoyed these videos on how we make decisions and are influenced when it comes to spending. It has really caused me to reevaluate the way make look the purchases I intend to make. Thanks.
That opening sentence had me chuckling. That’s an accomplishment right now, because it’s early, my throat hurts, I have a cough, and a few other things. So kudos to you, SciShow.
Whenever I think that I am about to buy something out of impulse, I try to sleep on it first. It doesn't help much, though. I always end up buying the thing the day after.
One thing you didn't mention: while the nucleus accumbens controls joy and reward, and the insula controls disgust and pain expectations, the mesial prefrontal cortex is the center of "worth it or not". The prefrontal cortex in general is all about judgment and decision-making; the mesial part of it seems to calculate the difference between what you're willing to pay and what it actually costs, then decides if it's worth it after all.
Also, does the unnecessary "c" in "satisficer" bother anyone else? Like... why not just call it "satisfier"? Wouldn't that make more sense? /nitpicking
Definitely agree on the satisfier comment. I was like, "Huh? Satisficer?? Who comes up with this?"
Yeesss! Satisficer is super annoying
I might have been able to agree with you, but your first paragraph made just about zero actual sense, ignoring the irony.
I know that you're probably ESL (I hope, lol), but still, just read your sentences one more time before posting, preferably out loud, and there's no way you would be able to let half your sentences go in their current form.
IceMetalPunk the root "fic" in the word "satisficer" is derived from the Latin verb "facere," which means, 'to make or do.' Satis is also a Latin word which means, 'enough.' So, the word "satisficer" literally means 'to make enough, or do enough.'
to "satisfice" is to accept an option or decision as enough or satisfactory according to the google search i did 5 seconds ago
the more you know™
I used to work in retail. During our sales training, we were told that if impulse buying stopped tomorrow, it would cause the economy to crash.
I've stopped ^_^
The subtlety of that reference was over 9000!
2:37 IT'S OVER 9000!!!!
I recently started working at Dollar Tree, and I leave with something at least a quarter of the time because I'm a sucker for that "everything's a dollar" crap.
I‘ve gotta say though, actual money like coins and bills mean much less to me than seeing that number on my bank account get smaller and smaller with each individual purchase. Because actual money is just, y‘know, gone. You spent it, it‘s over, but you also already took it from your bank account so to me it already feels like I don‘t have it anymore and I don‘t feel as bad for spending it. But seeing that I spend a good 30 bucks on chips and energy drinks? That hits me right where it hurts 💀
I’m a maximizer ... and buy things are very tiresome for me, so many calculations and readings i have to made
What if you don't do those tiresome things and just buy? What will happen? ;)
sc0608023 personally i will hate myself and regret after buying. Asking why i buy the wrong things. So the best solution is don’t buy or wait a few years. Because most items will reveal their true self after few years of criticism.
*have to make
alvallac21 thanks.
I pick up the candy, put it in my cart, take a good look, then quickly put it back. When I get home and look for it I remember putting it back but it is too late. Lost 25 pounds since I started. ;)
Lost pounds and saved yourself some money. Cool!!
I'm so indecisive when I shop and I end up putting half of it back. But the worst part is when I get home and think about it and regret not buying those items I put back.
Nice Dragon ball reference!
I'm definitely a maximizer, and I regret my purchases pretty regularly, so much so that I dread having to buy anything beyond food and gas (well, food sometimes too).
I am 100% a tightwad. I get nervous and my chest hurts whenever I want to buy a new video game even if it is one I truly want
The way the pattern of his shirt perfectly matches up in the middle is oddly satisfying
I'm both of these types sometimes. I will totally make a spreadsheet for my new computer and spend a week reading reviews, but paying for something I need or want doesn't cause me much pain. I just want to feel like I've made a somewhat informed decision and then I'll happily shell out. The "wait for a few days before making a purchase and when I still want it, I get it" tactic really works for someone like me.
Im an ultra maximizer super tightwad and I really feel the agony of paying especially for none-essential things others make me pay for. But when I get a good deal on something I really need or want is money well spent and have no regrets I usually wait for things to drop their price and buy once expensive things like electronics and stuff.
The Pain of Paying... What a great name! I'm very much familiar with that. I put off getting glasses for years because I was daunted by how much it might cost, and have been suffering through a computer that won't come out of hibernate reliably for about five years because I can't stand the thought of having to shell out $1000 for a new motherboard, processor and memory.
I hope becoming Vegeta for a few seconds made Hank happy.
Even as a DB fan, at first I didn't get the scouter joke, it was so unexpected. Then I promptly fell off my chair. Well played Hank, well played.
23andMe are actually doing a study to see if there are genetic factors for this! Just saw the tweet today.
2:37 got me good! Thanks for the laugh.
The man in front of me at the petrol station bought the ENTIRE BOX of king size Mars Bars at the counter!
I'm a maximizer and decisions are always hard, but when I finally decide, I'm very happy with them, because I know I made the best decision based on what I know at the time.
I am definitely in the "maximizer" camp. Unless it's something basic like TP, I will research the hell out of a product. I spent 2 hours reading specs and watching reviews before buying a radio, And I mean a normal AM/FM/SW radio, Not sophisticated "ham" gear. I order my PCs "custom" - I never bought one "of the rack". I wish I could do this with phones, LOL.
I want to point out that in all the years of putting chocolates in front of me at the cash register, nothing has caused me to spend more money than Snickers putting whimsical words on their wrappers, such as Fiesty, Spacey, Loopy, Grouchy, or Cranky. My excitement came entirely from the novelty of the words themselves, and the snickers bar became the icing on the cake, that tipped the scale. I, in full knowledge of what I was doing, paid a dollar for a word on a shiny wrapper, that just happened to have a candy bar attached to it. I regret nothing.
Waiting before buying
Really helps when you want to impulsively buy foods
Wish they credited your name. I've seen a few of your psychology videos on TH-cam and think you're an amazing presenter and speaker. Not sure who writes the content but also very amazing.
Thank you :)
I'm for sure a tightwad maximizer but not on the extreme end. Like one day I was at Best Buy exploring options for a gaming laptop that I don't need right now but am considering for sometime in the future. Salespeople annoy me SO MUCH it's like ugh, just leave me alone, I don't need you pressuring me into buying something I might regret/decide I don't need. But I'm not a heartless jerk, I let them play their game and at the end I just say "I'll need to check my finances to see if I can afford this" and I take some pics of the item/items I'm looking at with price tags and leave the store. Even if I know I can afford whatever it is I'm looking at that's what I'll say to salespeople and it seems to have worked so far.
"Excuse me, I have to go make some changes to dfta.com"
You evil, evil little man.
I like it.
I notice I can really obsess on getting something, and usually cool down after mere days. I'm pretty much the definition of an impulse buyer but I learned how to handle it basically.
Little tip I have: wait 2 weeks before spending high amounts.
Good watch. Thanks.
I can't stop myself from buying books.😢😢😢
The library can be really fun:)
"Impulse buyers tend to be impulsive" Lmao you don't say, Hank
He totally went Super Payin'
TarriPup underrated comment
Literally did this with a new pc, spent 4 months of reviews waiting for new products to come out, looking at comparisons of parts, prices ect and ended up not happy with my purchase, I'm not unhappy but not as happy as I expected, for such a powerful pc that I use every day, but as I had gotten along without it for so long before it pains me to have spent so much, even though i know I got a excellent machine and a good price
OVER 9000!!!!!
People were involved in that survey...
scishow be throwin holiday shade
I'm definitely a Maximizer, I hate making compromises even though it's necessary when I want to limit my spendings.
Wait, I'm all of these! How is this possible?
It's a spectrum, maybe you're in the middle ...
The book "30 Days to Stop Being a Shopaholic" by Harper Daniels is good. It uses a mindfulness and meditation approach to get to the root. It's fun too. It's easy to overspend without the right perspective of self.
4:20 Dear god, Hank's been spying on me!
strange, i have a lot easier time spending from cash then i do debit. (can't speak of credit. i have never spent from a pool of money i never had in the first place. except when daydreaming of buying something) when i am carrying cash i am much more likely to make a impulsive purchase. having multiple "pools" of money i think is part of it. as i know stuff like food and bills comes out of debit. the cash usually was assigned somewhere. i tend to forget that though and just spend it
While I'm no tightwad, that scenario describing a satisficer made me cringe. Who just buys a computer willy-nilly?!?!
Apple *cough cough*
Here's something to ponder:
Money you can't see is easier to spend. Right? Not in all cases.
I've been playing MMOs for over 14 years now, in which spending in-game gold is just as hard a decision as in real life. Even though I know I will be getting that money back in a few days.
I was an impulse buyer back when I got payed in cash. But for the past few years I've been receiving my pay on my bank account, and the urge to just go online and buy stuff has nearly dissapeared, I'm spending much more time thinking about it.
My conclusion is: Managing virtual currencies in a game tought me to handle real-world digital money much better, because the process is almost identical.
I hope I made sense, it's kinda early here and I haven't slept much :D (gotta get those epics!)
Tightwad and maximizer here. I also always use the actual, paper money least I am purchasing something online obviously. It's also inarguable that your electronic money can be abused relatively easily, which is not the case with actual money and precious physical objects.
That being said though, I'm far from being immune to impulse purchases. Sometimes If I'm feeling down, or anxious, or simply upset and angry I'll be far more prone to have an impulse purchase than otherwise. Which is why I wonder if the overall mental state can have effect on how we spend money too, besides these character traits they described in the video.
Great unexpected reference for the 9000 subjects there!
I think the terms "tightwad" and "maximizer" describe me pretty well. I literally open a spreadsheet filled with the parts of the computer I'm building (I did the same for my bicycle) and it can take a few months before I finish buying all the parts. Also, the "pain of paying" describes pretty well how I pay for things. However, since I began working and having a stable source of income, that pain has been reduced a lot. I still calculate how much something is going to cost me if I pay for it using my credit card, both the total and the individual dues.
Why didn’t you post this BEFORE Christmas haha
Ahhhh the dragon ball z reference 💜
It's over nine-THOU-*SAAAAAAAAAANNNNNND*~!?
('dat vegita scanner at 2:38, though.)
4:40 this makes sense with a phenomena in the automotive industry I've noticed. I don't have a name for it, but it's basically a law that if a car contains some recognizable elements of a traditional established segment of car (suv, family sedan, sports car, ect.) it will find some customers. Even if the there is a better version of the same car in every fashion (cheaper, safer better fuel economy, ect.) available, even if it's on the same lot.
i online shop alot but I find just putting the stuff in my cart and going back to it later keeps me from buying it.
Nerdee79 the amazon “save for later” button is my savior
Maximizers have an Android.
Satisficer have an iphone.
Dat scouter at 2:36 tho!
The over 9000 eye scanner was the finishing move for me. KO 😂
Barry Schwartz did a great Ted Talk on The Paradox of Choice (the idea that the more options we have, the less happy we are when we make a decision because there's a greater chance we could have done better).
I kind of agree with what other people are saying: it's not like I have large amounts of money outside of my bank account and I don't always consider it part of the "money I have" aka the number I see on my online statement- so cash is kind of easy to spend. There's no bank statment saying "I blew this on booze". I'm a pretty big tightwad with my debit card, but while I was inbetween jobs and using my credit card for groceries it was really easy to not know what an "appropriate" amount to spend with my fake money was.
Too few comments about the awesome dbz reference!!!
Maximizer Here lol fit every description you gave!
Except I'm usually happy with what I get. And yes I just got a new phone a week ago using that method xD
I try to hit the 👍 for all sci show stuff I view, but this time it was all for the over 9000
I'm a maximizer for sure. But generally the spreadsheet making is for online orders when I have time to research and think it out. I always feel super depressed and awful when I make a purchase but almost in every case, by the time the item ships and gets to my door I'm really happy and excited. I'm proud of my perfect purchase and I never want to let go of it. Even if its a 10 year outdated laptop I never use. It's like a trophy.
Also I run through cash waaay faster because every time I see a homeless person I can't say no if I have any on me.
$3 bothered me when I got the entire Half-Life series on sale, even though I've been looking forward to them for years. I still found a way to regret it.
Edit after watching video: I'm definitely a price maximiser.
After not eating all day i have to walk past a fast food place on my way home, which is really tempting because it has stuff on the menu I like, but i dont want to spend money but im so hungry and if i dont eat I know it'll be hours before i get another chance to eat, its really hard to resist but i often do.
I am a tightwad to the extreme. I only buy something if I need it to stay alive or mentally sane. I have never impulse bought something before. Maybe I'm weird but I find it baffling how ppl can spend hundreds of dollars in a single day on things they weren't planning on buying.
Thank you for the video. I really appreciate it!
0:04 Joke's on them. I already have all those stuff. HAHAHAHAHAHA
As a spendthrift; I'd like to posit the idea that we do in fact feel the pain of paying. it simply doesn't hit us until after the purchase.
Love the over 9000 scanner!
I can confess I am a maximiser, and I am happy with most (70%) of my purchases. The regret is a small price to pay for non-impulsive buying.