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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Lottie Gibbons

Martin Lewis shares simple rule every shopper should use before spending

Martin Lewis has shared his simple mantra every shopper should use before spending.

The finance guru was back with his newsletter this week helping to cut consumer bills and save you money.

One of his tips included his 'money mantras' which Martin says everyone should use before spending.

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If you answer 'No' to any of these questions, then don't buy.

Martin's mantras are split into two categories.

If you're short on money, you should ask:

  • 'Do I need it?'
  • 'Can I afford it?'

If you have a healthy bank balance, ask yourself:

  • 'Will I use it?'
  • 'Is it worth it?'

Martin said the most difficult one to judge is 'will I use it?'.

The MoneySavingExpert founder suggested you can follow this up with the question: 'Could you get better use or more pleasure out of the same cash by buying something else?'

Martin said: "My favourite example of this is shopping with a female friend, who hates me telling this story.

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"She'd spotted two pairs of leather boots and was deliberating between them. I checked prices – one £40, the other £110 – yet she was only concerned with preferred style.

"So I whipped £70 cash out and held it up with the £40 pair to show the real decision was one pair of boots plus the cash or just the rival boots alone.

"She paused and with genuine interest said: "Wow, I've never thought of it like that before."

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