You're in the shop to buy some batteries and a kettle and decide to take a look around. A surround sound cinema system with plasma television catches your eye. Caught in its tractor beam of sleek lines, superb sound and crystal clear picture, you stand there with your mouth open like a kiddie in a sweet shop. Time stands still, you're watching some bloke skiing down a mountain-side, and you think, "It's like I'm almost there." And you think, "I want one of these."

What you don't see is the fight between the sale assistants to get to you first without looking like they're running. "Great picture sir, it's like you're almost there."
"Just what I was thinking," you dumbly reply and you're hooked.

Then, the sales assistant sets to work on you, reeling you in. He points out the various features it has, such as picture-in-picture, freeze live action...it goes on, and you think I've gotta to have it. But how can you afford the £2000 for this must have system. "Simple sir, you can take it home today with nothing to pay for 12 months". What!!! "Where do I sign?"

The use of in-store finance serves only one need, to make the product seem affordable. If it were not for the zero percent interest option available on the system would anybody would be happy to get into debt to buy it? With the average salary being around £23,000 and the average plasma screen television being £1500, which is nearly 10% of the net average salary; it's surprising that any are flying off the shelves!!! Very surprising when you consider that the average household debt is around £9,000. But, with the marketing tactics being employed is it any wonder?

If you examine the small print of the credit deal you have signed up for, it will state that they credit company will send you a credit card through the post in due course. Hang on; I've already got four credit cards I don't want another one. Of course you don't but that's the only way you'll get the TV. So the card sits in your wallet with £4000 credit limit on it, your paying minimum payments towards the recently purchase mini Odeon cinema system and, wham bam thank you mam, the interest free period is up and you still have an outstanding balance, with erm, some other things that you couldn't do without. The sting in the tail is that the interest rate is 15.9% APR!!

CreditExpert.co.uk reveal that 80% of us overspend, therapy spending and impulse buying being the main culprits. But should we blame the retailer for the high debt levels in the country or should we look closer to home. The retailers are just playing a game of making things appear affordable. It's up to ourselves to be more enquiring about what we buy and how much we buy it for. If you went back to the retailer with cash and asked for a discount on your mini Odeon system, without even haggling too much you would be able to get 10% off. But that rarely happens and the retailers know this. In a choice between lifestyle and doing without, lifestyle wins. The only winners are the banks and retailers. So here is a call to action. Let's change our ways, if we can't afford something then ether save for it, get a better job with more pay or do without!!