SHOP WITH YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN DON’T GET TEMU-ED

Don’t “shop like a billionaire” if you’re not. Online shopping app Temu is all over social with its tempting prices and fancy adverts. Here’s why you shouldn’t let yourself get Temu-ed.

If you haven’t heard of it, Temu is a Chinese online shopping platform that launched in late 2022. The app has been downloaded more than 50 million times. Temu wants you to shop on its platform without giving a second thought to the cost. We all like cheap things and Temu in particular is bombarding us with cute items, lightning deals and free shipping offers, although some of the deals are duds or cheap knockoffs.

“Shop like a billionaire” the tagline says. It can be tempting. But whether you’re leaving school to start work or going to university, avoid being sucked into spending money unnecessarily. Yes, the prices are low. But do you really need this stuff? A dollar in your wallet is better than junk piling up.

BUT IT’S ONLY $1

Online shopping apps sell themselves as budget friendly and they’re often anything but. Temu wants you to think, ‘Why not? It’s only $1 or $5 or $10’. But a few bucks here and a few bucks there on stuff you don’t need, can soon add up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year.

The excitement of shopping on platforms like Temu, Wish, Aliexpress or Shein isn’t so great when you find you can’t pay your rent or bills, or you don’t have the money to do things with your friends. Maybe your friends are going to a festival or even overseas in the holidays and you have no money left.

If in doubt, go back and look at all your online and marketplace purchases from a year ago. Did you really need or use those purchases?

writer DIANA CLEMENT photo credit i STOCK

things that you never use. By not buying stuff, managing your money becomes a whole lot easier. You might even have money left over to save or you’ll come out of tertiary study with less debt. If you find yourself with a shopping cart full of items you don’t need then one of the easiest ways to get out of the habit of buying cheap junk is to remove the apps from your devices. Turn off notifications on Instagram and other social channels and stop following influencers who want you to buy things.

TRY A NO-SPEND MONTH

Do something radical for your finances – such as having no-spend months or choosing to buy from thrift stores. Try searching YouTube or TikTok for ‘things I don’t buy anymore’ and you’ll find influencers encouraging you not to buy, rather than vice versa. It’s surprising how many of Temu’s offerings that we think are needs turn out to be wants.

Of course, everyone does need to spoil themselves sometimes. If not, it’s impossible to stick to a budget. So always make sure you give yourself a fixed amount of fun money and spend time planning how to spend it.

It’s easy to leave tertiary study with debt twice the amount of your study costs if you don’t budget and watch every dollar like it owes you.

Why Not Buying Stuff Is Better

The gentle art of ‘not buying stuff’ is a whole lot better for your finances than finding your flat full of

Climate Change And Forced Labour

If you’re still struggling to not buy stuff, then consider the environment and the workers. The world doesn’t need more and more plastic and disposable items. International governments have investigated reports that some goods for sale on Temu are linked to forced Uyghur labour.