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Retailers know the brain shortcuts that prompt us to fork over cash. Here is how to avoid their traps. Elnur / Shutterstock.com
If you automatically reach for a $39.99 sweater or load up on $9.99 albums on iTunes, you’re not alone. The strategy of ending prices with 99 cents has worked its magic on all of us. The psychology of shopping affects virtually everything you buy. Merchants use a variety of strategies to get us to spend more — from labeling prices without dollar signs to setting a per-customer limit.