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| Yes. When I repainted my living room....there were a few unnecessary Diderot purchases. |
I have never heard of The Diderot Effect. I know, of course, that there is tremendous psychology in marketing and sales. So it should be no surprise that there is something psychologically that clicks in when items are purchased.
Non-scientific and unverified info from my brain so take with a pound of salt...if we use credit cards we spend more than if we use cash. The Monopoly money syndrome? That's what it feels like to me anyway. And I know that is a something I have succumbed to more than once. It seems odd to use a card for a $2.00 purchase but not at all if using cash. Plus I know the surcharge for credit cards is hefty and that small mom and pop places have a minimum on credit card expenditures. I actually feel guilty if I spend less than $10.00 on a credit or debit card. Hello! If that's not a reason to always use cash, I don't know what is.
The Diderot Effect is (major summarizing of a really good article so read it above) the extra expenses incurred when one buys one new thing. Example. A new skirt opens the door to the perfect necklace or shoes or both. Soon the $50.00 skirt is $170.00 in purchases. Or the need for new living room furniture when the old is just fine because you replace the carpet that was a necessity.
You know how many times I've fallen for this one? Sheesh? Yikes! It might be right up there with the "It's on clearance" syndrome that plagues me.
But. The choices that we made yesterday belong to yesterday (unless we still have the receipt). But we are masters of the choices we will make tomorrow or today. Right?
