I’ll be honest, I once bought 3 shirts just because it said “Buy 2 Get 1 Free.” I didn’t even like the third one. It’s still in my cupboard with tag on, like a silent reminder of my “smart shopping” moment. So yeah, discounts… they don’t always save money. Sometimes they just make us spend more and feel good about it, which is weird if you think properly.
The funny thing is, our brain doesn’t really treat discounts like math. It treats them like rewards. Like you’re winning something. Even if you’re still paying money. That’s the trick.
our brain sees “saving” as earning
This is where it gets slightly confusing but also makes sense. When you see 50% OFF, your brain kinda reacts same way as if you found money. Not exactly same, but similar feeling. Dopamine kicks in. That small excitement like “oh nice deal!”
But logically… you’re not earning ₹500, you’re just spending ₹500 instead of ₹1000. Still spending. But brain doesn’t go that deep in that moment.
I read somewhere (don’t remember exact source, maybe some finance blog or Reddit thread honestly) that people feel more happy getting a discount than getting cashback later. Which is strange, because cashback is real money. But instant discount just feels better.
It’s like choosing fast food over healthy food. You know the better option, but still…
the “limited time” pressure messes with us
Ever seen those timers? “Only 2 hours left!” or “Just 5 items remaining.” Honestly half the time it’s fake urgency, but it works. On me also, not gonna lie.
Because now it’s not just about saving money. It becomes about not missing out. That fear… FOMO type. Social media made it worse actually. You see people posting “crazy deals” or “loot offers” and suddenly you feel like you’re the only idiot not buying.
Even if you don’t need it.
I remember during some online sale, maybe Flipkart or Amazon (not even sure now), everyone was tweeting about phone deals. I ended up buying earphones. Why? No idea. Mine were working fine.
we justify spending in very creative ways
This part is actually funny. Humans are really good at lying to themselves, but in a smart way.
Like, you’ll say:
“I saved ₹2000 today.”
But you actually spent ₹3000.
This logic somehow makes sense in that moment. It’s like saying you burned calories by eating cake because you walked to the fridge. Same energy.
I’ve done this so many times. Especially during clothing sales. You start thinking long term suddenly. “I’ll use this later.” “It’s an investment.” Bro, it’s a hoodie, not stocks.
discounts make us buy more than planned
Here’s the real problem. Discounts rarely make you buy what you already planned. They make you add more.
If something costs ₹1000, you think twice. But if it’s “Buy 3 for ₹2000”, suddenly you’re doing calculations like a CA. And you feel smart after buying more.
But did you need 3 items? Mostly no.
Brands know this very well. They don’t give discounts to lose money. They give discounts to increase volume. Simple.
It’s like a buffet. You eat more because it feels “worth it”. Not because you’re hungry.
anchor pricing plays a sneaky role
This one I didn’t understand earlier but now it makes sense. When you see “₹5000 → ₹1999”, your brain focuses on ₹5000 first. That becomes the reference point.
So ₹1999 feels cheap.
But what if the product was always worth around ₹2000? Then you’re not really saving much. Just being guided.
This is called anchoring (yeah sounds technical but idea is simple). First price sets the expectation. Discount just looks better in comparison.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like we don’t shop for products, we shop for comparisons.
online shopping made it worse, obviously
Earlier you had to physically go to store. Now it’s just scroll, click, done. No effort. No thinking also sometimes.
Apps literally send notifications like:
“Deal just for you”
“Don’t miss this”
“Price dropped”
And somehow it always feels personal. Like wow, they care about me saving money. But actually they care about me spending money.
I’ve seen people on Instagram reels flexing “today’s sale haul” like it’s achievement. And comments are like “link pls” or “is it still available???” It becomes a chain reaction.
No one really posts what they didn’t buy and saved money. That’s not exciting content.
small discounts still work big time
You’d think only big discounts matter. But even small ones like 10% or free delivery change decisions.
There was this one time I was ordering food. Delivery fee was ₹40. I almost cancelled. Then I added extra item just to get free delivery above ₹199.
So I spent ₹120 extra… to save ₹40.
Make it make sense.
But it felt right in that moment.
so why do we fall for it again and again?
Because it doesn’t feel like a trap. It feels like opportunity. And humans are wired to grab opportunities. Especially when there’s a sense of urgency + reward.
Also, we don’t usually track small spending. Big purchases we think more. Small deals we just go with flow.
And slowly it adds up.
I’m not saying discounts are bad. Sometimes they are genuinely useful. Like buying something you already planned, then yeah great.
But random shopping just because it’s “on sale”… that’s where problem starts.
I still fall for it sometimes. Not gonna pretend I’m some finance guru now. But at least now I catch myself mid-checkout like “do I actually need this or just feeling smart?”
Half the time… it’s the second one.
And that realization itself saves more money than any discount ever did.