Purchase Mistakes

The attractive consumer goods appeal to us no end. Most of us have a habit of being careless while shopping. At such times we are hardly calculative about money. We purchase whimsically and forget whether we really need it or not. Sometimes it is also beyond our affordability. The problem starts when we are unable to pay and fall in the trap of debts. Once you are in it, to get yourself free is not all that easy a task. Now you need the help of an expert or a financial wizard.

The Consumer Literacy Consortium released its list of the top consumer purchase mistakes. This was done in order to make consumers aware where they are going wrong. This is expected to reduce wasteful consumer spending. Consumers lose billions of dollars each year because of hasty, uninformed purchases. This happens to not just on big ticket items, but on everyday purchases as well, according to Steve Brobeck, Executive Director of Consumer Federation of America.

The frequently made mistakes by the consumers are:

Holding many credit cards;
Not maintaining the minimum balance required to avoid checking fees;
Purchasing new appliances without judging their utility in the household;
Not comparing unit prices on supermarket shelves;
Not holding a cash-value life insurance policy for at least 15 years;
Taking out a 30-year mortgage loan rather than a 15-year loan, just because the monthly payments are lower;
Paying in full for home improvements before the work has been completed satisfactorily;
Leasing a car rather than buying it. They have got a false notion that leasing a car is more economic than buying a car.
Not very particular about hiring an efficient auto mechanic.
Too much dependent on their insurance agents for the best deal in auto and home owner policies.
Not aware of their affordability means.