The big 9.9 sale in the Philippines just ended and we’re feeling a bit… weird. Who else just realized that they added something to their cart which they shouldn’t have, and now can’t help but sulk over their lost money?

Ladies and zoomers, that is a classic case of post-shopping regret (more popularly known as “buyer’s remorse”) and boy do we have some tips for you!

1. Admit that you have a problem.

Okay, we may be exaggerating here. But the important thing is recognizing that you did something bad that may affect your financial situation for the foreseeable future. You may have gone over your set shopping budget or just didn’t think through your purchases before you checked out.

But by admitting to yourself that you messed up, you’ve already proven yourself a stronger person than others who just laugh off their post-shopping regret and do it again the next time.

2. Pinpoint where it went wrong.

This piece of advice might seem too much like real therapy right now, but trust us. If you know the source of how the shopping sites “scammed” you into buying something you didn’t really want, then you’ll know how to stop it in the future.

Is it because you panicked that the item was going to run out of stock? Were you trying to fill your cart with items just so you could get a “higher discount”? Did seeing a super low-priced item in a flash sale make you think that purchasing it was a good idea?

Whatever the reason is, make sure you keep note of it in your mind. Remember that knowledge is power; they won’t fool you next time!

3. Find a use for the items you bought.

This refers to the products you ordered which you didn’t necessarily want in the first place. During the 10.10 sale last year, I made a choice of buying a ring light and then instantly regretted it afterwards.

But lo and behold, I couldn’t imagine my life without it right now. The ring light ended up becoming a good personal investment with video calls being the norm and my need to be seen with good lighting in Zoom. It was also handy for some photoshoots I did, having photography as a hobby.

I’m sure there is a reason why you thought of purchasing those things in the first place. And just like in my situation, you might even be surprised with how much they can do!

If staring at your newly-bought items bring you anger and guilt, you can try and force yourself to use them. For example, if your new shirt ends up looking nothing like the one in the photos on the website, just keep wearing it in the house where nobody can see you.

Maybe you can even wear it for a unique IG photoshoot or a self-mocking TikTok video. If you’re gonna wallow in post-shopping regret, at least get some clout out of it.

4. Stop thinking of the what if’s.

What’s done is done. When the option to cancel your order is gone, you’ve basically left your fate in the hands of the shipping gods. Reality sinks in a few moments after you’ve been able to process how much you really spent for something you didn’t want in the first place.

But… it’s all a matter of perspective.

While you can keep contemplating about how much money you just lost or how you should not have pressed “Add to Cart” in the first place, you can take a more proactive approach. Think of what the items in question can do for you.

And like what we discussed in Tip #2, you can always see this as a learning opportunity so you’d know how to hold yourself back the next time an e-commerce website offers free shipping coupons.

5. Read the good reviews.

The time between the moment you placed your order and the moment it gets to your doorstep is the worst. The post-shopping regret is probably sinking in now that you have the opportunity to truly think over your purchase decisions.

Without the giant blinking sale signs and the cool product shots, you’ve come to realize that you duped yourself. But a good way to counter that line of thinking is to read all the 4-star and 5-star reviews for the items you bought. When you read through customers’ testimonials and product experiences, you’ll come to realize that your worry is probably for naught.

This also applies to products you buy in retail.

After you take out your brand new shoes from the box, you may suddenly realize that they didn’t look as good as they did in the store. But when you research more about them, you’ll probably learn all these benefits and features you didn’t know before you had purchased them.

More often than not, a quick Google search will help reassure you of your shopping choices.

6. Re-gift.

It sounds horrible, but everyone’s mother does it, so why shouldn’t you? If you’re just not convinced that the thing you bought is useful, then the worst thing you could do is store it in an attic where it will never be heard of again.

Instead, you can hit two birds with one stone by giving away the product to someone you care about. One, you’ll be getting rid of the product that you can’t bear to look at. Two, you’ll be saving money if you choose to give it as someone’s birthday or Christmas present instead.

Of course, not all products are “regiftable” like makeup and skincare products. But the worst thing you can do is let them go to waste. At least let somebody benefit from your poor decision-making!

7. Prepare better.

Once you’ve gotten past your post-shopping regret, promise yourself that you won’t give into temptation next time. Impulse purchases are a big no-no during these big sales especially if you’re following a budget.

The best way to counter this problem is to prepare. Days before the sale, you have to know what you’re buying. That way, you won’t just open up a shopping app and buy everything on sight.

Make sure you have your eyes on the prize!

It’s easy to get frazzled and overwhelmed when there are coupons, flash deals, and big discounts happening all at once. By learning from your mistakes and preparing yourself for what’s to come, you will turn out to be a better shopper!

Do you have any post-shopping regret stories yourself? Share them with us in the comments below! If you loved this article, then you’ll probably love the advice we have for you here.

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The post ‘I Didn’t Survive 9.9’: How to Deal with Post-Shopping Regret appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

How do you say no to online shopping? I was once that student who claimed that they were “broke” as I added another item in my cart. Honestly, who was I to do that? It’s not like I was earning any money back then.

There are a lot of budgeting tips for students out there, but this one is more of a personal reflection on what I could’ve done better now that I’m a bit older and am becoming more financially responsible.

Here’s a list of six ways to save some money without even lifting a finger!

The golden rule of money-saving: out of sight, out of mind. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you have more cash than you already do! If you have money, put it in your alkansya and lock it if you must.

Wherever you go, make sure you only bring the amount that you need. While I do recommend always bringing a debit card for emergencies, looking at the amount of money you have left in your savings account is a good reminder not to spend anymore than what you need.

It’s simple: if you don’t have cash in your hand, you simply cannot buy anything. When I catch myself spending too much on an everyday basis, this is the rule that I go back to because it never fails.

Unless of course, you’re with a rich friend who offers to lend you some money. That is where the real temptation begins.

Thankfully, I’ve never been the type to spontaneously buy something online. I do remember having quite the scare last year during the 10/10 sale though.

Do you know how these shopping sites make you buy more? By *gasp* making you install their apps on your phone. They’ll offer you all these amazing discounts and promos if, and only if, you fulfill that condition.

One of our most important budgeting tips for students is to simply delete those pesky little things.

It’s become Gen Z nature to swipe through random apps in our phone one second after we get bored. The big e-commerce sites know this and are banking on your boredom to get some purchases. So the moment you get your mobile-exclusive promo, make sure to uninstall the app in an instant.

Source: I work in marketing. But hey, I want to keep the doors open for these shopping giants to promote on our website. So on that note, keep your shopping apps in your phone, kids!

This is a savvier way to execute “out of sight, out of mind.” There are so many e-wallets out there like GCash, Paymaya, LazWallet & GrabPay. What you can do is to place some money in these wallets.

That way, you won’t get complacent with seeing one large number in your savings account.

If you decide to go through with this, make sure you’re only just putting the money you know you’re going to spend. So if you’ve allocated PHP 1000 of your monthly allowance to Grab, make sure to only put that amount in the wallet and nothing more.

But of course, I can already hear the financial experts screaming how idiotic a move that is. That is exactly what these companies want you to do.

The wiser decision would be to invest. Yes, purchasing stocks is one of our most important budgeting tips for students.

Leading online stockbroker COL Financial has made it so much easier to open an account with them. You can actually start investing with just PHP 5,000 and a few clicks!

If the steep learning curve of investing worries you, then I’m assuring you that it only takes a whole day of dedicated reading and Youtube videos to get the basics down. COL Financial also has an Easy Investment Program which is basically what the name suggests it is.

You’re inevitably going to learn more about investment when you’re older anyway, so why not start now? One of my biggest financial regrets is being too lazy to set up an account when I was younger. Don’t be me, it’s not fun.

And if you’re asking, this isn’t a sponsored post… shockingly enough.

It’s a cliche because it’s true: home-cooked meals are just so much cheaper. This is a must when it comes to budgeting tips for students.

However, this one in particular depends heavily on your living situation.

If you live in a house where someone else does the cooking, it would be easier to ask them to prepare extra food for you every day to avoid accidentally splurging on expensive meals in school.

If you live in a condominium or apartment, you should practice the art of meal planning. It’s basically when you set out a day in the week to prepare all the food you’ll be eating in the next days. It sounds like a lot, but try it out for two weeks before giving up on it. There are a lot of benefits you’ll enjoy like saving precious time in the future, and of course, keeping your money.

This one is more challenging for dormers and people without easy access to kitchens. If you’re one of them, we suggest finding a few go-to places near your area that sells cheap food and you legitimately enjoy.

The idea would be to buy from one of these places every morning and bring them to school like it’s your baon. That way, you’ll avoid being dragged to expensive restaurants by your friends!

It’s easier than it sounds. There are so many free personal budgeting apps available right now that helps you list down all the expenses you’ve amounted. Most budgeting apps let you place what category your expenses fall under (e.g. restaurants, entertainment, transportation) so you’ll be able to see where you are needlessly spending too much on.

Thing is, you don’t even have to install any of these apps if you don’t feel like it. I tried out one of them before and found it too complicated for my liking. Do what works for you!

Instead of doing it on my mobile, I place all my expenses in a personal budget template I found online. I do this every weekend to help me determine if I can spend more on my wants or not.

When you see all the expenses you’ve racked up, you are going to be hit with the cold hard reality that you’re spending way too much than you need to.

But you know what, us zoomers need a reality check that money doesn’t grow on trees!

In simpler terms: do some real budgeting. I know planning isn’t sexy unless you’re one of the few people who have a fetish for it. But when you actually lay out where your money will go for the next month, you’re going to want to stick to it. Trust me.

If your money should always be out of sight, then your budget should always be in sight. When you have your numbers laid out in the back of your head, you’ll realize that there is always a way to cut down on expenses.

You just have to get creative or endure some inconvenience.

Do you really love this particular restaurant but ordering takeout for the eleventh time will mean going over your budget? Maybe it’s time to search for a cheaper alternative. Are you used to buying branded clothes all the time? Well Shopee is a great haven for local small fashion stores. You just have to look for the good ones.

Here are some more personal budgeting templates that you could use to help you get started.

Saving money can be a real pain in the butt for people who have not even received their first paycheck. But we hope these budgeting tips for students will at the very least, help you become more mindful of the places your money goes to.

Not shelling out money is a great practice of self-control; you just need to mentally swat away all the temptations that life has to offer. Definitely easier said than done.

Enjoyed this article? Look over here for more great advice that zoomers like you might need. And don’t forget to follow us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Featued Image: maitree rimthong from Pexels

The post 6 Easy, Useful Money-Saving and Budgeting Tips for Filipino Students appeared first on Zoomers Corner.