The psychology of spending
Why do we buy things we don’t need? What factors cause us to buy irrationally?
These are a couple of the main questions of behavioral economics. Lately I’ve been writing about this topic over at the money site Bundle.com, where I am a community editor.
A few of my friends have liked the articles and I figured readers here might appreciate them as well. I’ve tried to cover some of the latest findings on the psychology of spending. Here’s a sampling, and hope you enjoy!
How music can help you manage finances
Sounds can influence how we make decisions!
Sunny weather is ruining my finances
Sunlight makes us happy, but it raises our propensity and willingness to spend. Though admittedly I’m fine being a bit poorer and happy.
Dear rich person: that big logo doesn’t mean what you think it does
This post is closely related to the game theory of signaling. Bigger logos often mean a lower price point of a brand. A rich person doesn’t have to advertise he’s rich–he just is! I was thinking about the intuitive criterion when composing this post.
What you buy can make you feel smarter
Apparently brand images can “rub off” in your own habits. Guess that’s why so many of my friends enjoy wearing Stanford apparel, and it’s my justification for wearing all those free t-shirts I got as a student 
The sounds a deal makes
This is a post about phonetic symbolism, the idea that certain sounds indicate a sense of size. Soft sounds can trick us into thinking it’s a small price and good deal–be careful!
I will be covering more about the psychology of spending at Bundle.com so be sure to check it out. And feel free to send me fun research and tricks you’ve heard–I always enjoy reading about stuff like this!
