One source of unhappiness for people is feeling out of control of their spending – and this is a problem that's far more widespread now than it was a year ago. Feeling regret about having bought something is a very unpleasant sort of unhappiness.

    亂花錢會讓人不快樂——這個問題比一年前波及麵更廣了。買了東西又後悔讓人感到非常不愉快。

    Being an under-buyer, as opposed to an over-buyer, I don't generally have much trouble avoiding overspending. I have more trouble prodding myself to make the effort to buy things I actually need.

    身為一個“少買”而不是“多買”的人，我很容易製止自己亂花錢。我的問題在於如何說服自己去買該買的東西。

    Nevertheless, even with my under-buying ways, I sometimes come home with something I didn't really need to buy. Stores use extremely clever strategies to winkle customers into making purchases. Here are some strategies to make sure you don't make purchases you regret:

    然而，即便像我這種“少買”的人
，有時還是會買回一些不需要的。商店采用極其聰明的手段引誘顧客購買。下麵這些方法能讓你買了東西不至於後悔:

    1. Be wary of the check-out areas. There are lots of enticing little items here; ask yourself if you really need something before you add it to your pile. How many times have I picked up a jar of Balmex?

    留心收銀台區，那裏有許多誘人的小商品。在把它扔進購物車之前
，問一問自己是不是確實需要這件東西。有多少次我拿起了一罐Balmex尿片？

    2. Get in and get out. The more time you spend in a store, the more you're likely to buy. Even better: don't even go in the store. Then you definitely won't buy.

    速戰速決。你在商店花的時間越多
，買的就越多。最好連去都不要去
，這樣你就不會買了。

    3. Question the need for an upgrade. You might want that device with a slick new function, or to get the improved version of what you have now, but do you really need it?

    對“升級”的需要提出質疑。你想買那個有花俏新功能的東西，或者用升級版替換掉你現有的那個，但是，你真的需要嗎?

    4. Be polite to salespeople, but don't feel like they're your new best friends. Don't buy something because you're worried about hurting their feelings or having made them do a lot of work helping you or explaining products to you. (At the same time, be respectful of clerks' efforts. The other day, I was in Gap Kids, and I saw someone rifle through a pile of beautifully stacked shirts in a way that meant that they'd all have to be re-folded. Was he malicious or oblivious? I couldn't tell.)

    對(dui)銷(xiao)售(shou)人(ren)員(yuan)要(yao)禮(li)貌(mao)，但(dan)別(bie)把(ba)他(ta)們(men)當(dang)成(cheng)你(ni)新(xin)結(jie)識(shi)的(de)最(zui)要(yao)好(hao)的(de)朋(peng)友(you)。不(bu)要(yao)因(yin)為(wei)擔(dan)心(xin)傷(shang)害(hai)到(dao)他(ta)們(men)的(de)感(gan)情(qing)而(er)去(qu)購(gou)買(mai)
，也(ye)別(bie)因(yin)為(wei)他(ta)們(men)的(de)努(nu)力(li)幫(bang)助(zhu)或(huo)解(jie)說(shuo)就(jiu)非(fei)得(de)買(mai)某(mou)樣(yang)東(dong)西(xi)。（同時，還是要對店員的努力表示尊重。幾天前，我在Gap Kids，發現有個人把一堆疊得整整齊齊的襯衫翻得亂七八糟，弄得每件都要重新疊過。他是惡作劇還是不自覺? 我不知道。）

    5. Don't shop when you're in a hurry or when you're hungry.

    不要在匆忙或饑餓的時候購物。

    6. Stick to a list. I've found that after I've decided to buy one thing, I'm far more likely to throw in other impulse items, because I know that I'm committed to going through the hassle of paying.

    嚴格遵循購物單。我發現在決定了要買一件東西後，總容易一時衝動買其它商品，因為我知道不管買多少，付款的繁瑣都是免不了的。

    7. Beware of sale items, which make you feel like you can't afford not to buy, or limited-time offers, which make you feel like you have to take advantage of a special deal. If you don't need or want something, it's not a good deal, not matter how cheap it is. A friend of mine told her husband, "I got this 50% off!" and he answered, “That means it was 50% ON.” Along the same lines…

    當dang心xin促cu銷xiao品pin，它ta們men讓rang你ni感gan到dao自zi己ji不bu能neng不bu買mai。也ye要yao當dang心xin限xian時shi優you惠hui，這zhe會hui讓rang你ni感gan到dao占zhan了le便bian宜yi。如ru果guo你ni不bu需xu要yao或huo不bu想xiang要yao某mou樣yang東dong西xi
，不bu論lun價jia格ge多duo麼me便bian宜yi也ye別bie買mai，這zhe不bu是shi一yi筆bi好hao買mai賣mai。我wo的de一yi位wei朋peng友you告gao訴su它ta的de丈zhang夫fu：“我五折買下的這件東西！”她的丈夫回答：“那說明原來賣貴了一倍。”同理......

    8. Don't buy anything that you don't know you need – this is especially important with clothes. If you're not careful, you can buy a pair of pants marked down 75%, then realize that you can't really wear them unless you buy the right shoes to go with them.

    不要買自己都不知道是否需要的東西，尤其是衣服。如果你不小心，你可能會買下一條標價2.5折的褲子，隨後發現隻有再買一雙鞋和它搭配，否則根本穿不了。

    9. Choose cash or credit card. Some people find it far harder to spend actual physical cash; other people find that paying cash makes a purchase seem trivial, even when the dollar amount is high. Know whether you're more inclined to overspend with cash or credit cards – and leave that payment method at home.

    選擇用現金或信用卡。有的人購物時
，如果是付現金
，就覺得不舍得買了；而有的人相反，花現金讓他/她感覺買東西隻是小事情

，不管那東西有多貴。知道是現金還是信用卡更容易讓自己亂花錢，然後，將那個付款法收起來。