If you’ve ever bought two to get one free or added another item to your cart to meet the threshold for free shipping, then you are “spaving.” Spaving is spending more money to ostensibly save money, but while it may seem like you’re saving a few dollars, it actually ends up costing more money.
For instance, it may not seem like a bad idea to spend a little more for free shipping since shipping can sometimes cost as much as the item you are shopping for! But that so-called savings still ends up being more than the original budget you set.
We’ve all done it — we’ll buy two of an item, thinking, “Well, I am going to use both of them anyway, but did I originally intend to spend that much? What happens if I keep just adding another item?” It feels easy in the moment, but too much spaving can land you over budget and in debt.
So, what exactly is spaving? Spaving is a play on words, a combination of “spending” and “saving.” You see opportunities to spave all the time: buy two, get one free; free shipping after a certain amount spent, add on extra items to complete that bundle at a “discount” or buy a certain amount, and get a free gift card or some other kind of discount.
In the end, spaving is just a way to get you, the consumer, to spend more money, often cloaked in the urgency of a sale or as a way to get a better deal. The issue with spaving is that you end up spending more to get the supposed discount. Think about it: If I am adding another item that costs $20 to save $7.95 in shipping costs, I really didn’t do myself any financial favors.
I learned this lesson the hard way when I fell for the buy-two-get-one-free deal on a couple of pairs of leggings I purchased. I had started my pilates journey in earnest and was shopping for new leggings. I found a pair I liked and saw they were on sale, buy two, get one free. Great! I would have three new pairs of leggings for class. It was great until they arrived, and I found out they were virtually see-through, not really appropriate for a class where you would be stretching your nether regions to the ceiling in front of a room full of other people. And, of course, because it was such a “great deal,” they could not be returned, so I was just out of that money.
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So how do you avoid falling for spaving?
- Make a shopping list, and stick with it.
If you are shopping for one item, stick to shopping for that one item. Even if it’s on sale, buying two rarely costs less than just buying one. If you are shopping online, make sure that there is a return policy.
- Wait before purchasing.
Buying on impulse will always cost you more money. Outside of food, you rarely need anything immediately. Take a cooling-off period — whether overnight or 24 hours — and see if the urge to buy stays strong.
3. Do the math.
The numbers don’t lie. The words may say you are getting a great deal — FREE shipping! — but actually run the numbers. If it doesn’t make sense, don’t do it.
4. Shop around.
Instead of just buying the first option, it can be financially advantageous to shop around, take advantage of various sales, or even set an alert to be notified when an item goes on sale.
Jennifer Streaks is Senior Personal Finance Reporter and spokesperson at Business Insider and a financial contributor at The Grio. A nationally recognized expert on money and affordable lifestyle living, Jennifer is an established financial columnist who has been featured on CNBC, Forbes, ABC, MSNBC, CBS, and more.
