Wearing High Heels While Shopping can Reduce Overspending

People who wear high heels tend to shop smarter, according to a new study.

There are other options for people who don't wear high heels- you can go to a yoga class before shopping or ride up and down the escalator for a few times. Researchers at Brigham Young University have found that people who experience a sense of balance tend to make informed decisions about the purchase and are more likely to go for products that are within their budget.

"If you're someone who tends to overspend, or you're kind of an extreme person, then maybe you ought to consider shopping in high heels," said study author Jeffrey Larson, a BYU marketing professor.

Essentially, researchers have found that anything that makes people focus on their balance (such as yoga or high heels) can make them focus on balancing their purchases as well. For example, researchers found that people wearing high heels would pick a 42-inch TV for $450 rather than a bigger but pricier 50-inch screen for $650 or a smaller $300 32-inch set.

In the study, researchers asked participants to lean back on a chair while shopping online or play Wii Fit game while answering questions about product prices. Some participants were even asked to stand on one foot while deciding which printer they'd want to buy.

Similar studies have found that other physical sensations such as hunger can lead to altered decision-making while shopping.

Researchers said that consumers must be more focused while they are shopping as certain physical sensations can skew their perception about the value of an item.

"We need to sit back for a minute and consider, 'Is this really what I want, or are the shoes I'm wearing influencing my choice?'" Billeter said in a news release. "We need to be more aware of what is influencing our choices."

The study is published in the Journal of Marketing Research.