How Your Email Is Making You Broke

You’re killing this finance game. You decided to get your financial life in order, so you created a plan for paying off your debt and building an emergency fund. You made a budget and you’re committed to sticking to it. You’ve even saved some money. As far as you’re concerned, nothing can stop you.

But then you go on your computer or mobile phone and check your email.

The next thing you know, you have several items in your online shopping cart and you’re filling out your credit card information and shipping address. If you’re wondering where all your money is going, one of the first places to look is your inbox.

How your email is making you broke is simple: it’s causing you to buy more things. And you’re only buying more things because you see them in your email. When you go to a store, you’re going there with the intent to buy. That’s not usually the case when you log in to your email.

So how are you even getting to the point when you’re submitting your payment info? That’s where the bigger issues lie.

Promotional Email Subject Lines

An email can’t cause you to spend money if you never open it, so something has got to get you curious or enticed enough to get you to click. That’s why the subject line is one of the most crucial parts of a promotional email. The subject line is that little line of text you read in your inbox before you open the email. Its purpose is to give you a hint – or clearly explain – what the email is about. Its sole purpose is to get you to open your email. Some may even get you to act without even having to read the copy inside.

If you’re trying to get through your emails without spending money, avoid opening any with these types of subject lines:

Introducing Our Amazing New Product!

A new product from your favorite retailer? You’ve just got to see it. That’s what they’re hoping you’ll think, anyway. And many times, that’s just what happens. The announcement piques your curiosity, so you open the email just to see what it is. You may not have any intention of buying the product, but once you see it, you’ve just gotta have it.

Last Chance To Get This Limited Item! 

Have you heard the term FOMO (fear of missing out)? Marketers have. And they know that nothing motivates people more than realizing they might miss out on something if they don’t act now. A subject line with a deadline, urgent phrase or threat of scarcity not only makes people open the email, it makes them act on it so they don’t miss their chance. What they don’t know is – and here’s a little secret – it’s usually not really the last chance. The promotion will often reappear some time later as a “last-minute extension.”

To avoid falling for these types of subject lines, watch for countdowns, low inventory warnings or such phrases as “Last Chance,” “Limited Time Only” or “About To Expire.”

Open This Email And Get Your Tickets Now!

One of the easiest ways to have customers do something you want them to do is to simply tell them what to do. The call to action has been a marketing strategy for years. It not only tells us what to do next, it plays on our curiosity about what will happen after we do it.  

Happy Birthday, Lauren! We have An Exclusive Gift Just For You!

Who are you more likely to buy from, a big corporation or a friend? Emails personalized with your name or some fact about you (for example, your birthday) establish a more personal relationship and build trust. And since your own name is so recognizable to you, a subject line with your moniker may stick out in a sea of other promotional emails.

When a company addresses you by name, you feel valued. And when they remember your birthday and offer you an exclusive gift, you feel even more special. This seemingly kind gesture plays off of the social norm of reciprocity – the act of responding to a kind action with another kind action. In this case, you respond to their exclusive offer by purchasing a product or service.

Join Thousands Of Other Cool People Using this Product

We all like to feel included and in the know. And if a bunch of other people are buying or doing something, we feel like we should too. It’s a concept called social proof – the belief that if other people are doing it, it must be the correct thing to do. This is effective whether it’s people wanting to be like a group of people or a specific person, like a celebrity or other influencer.

Get $50 Off When You Spend $100!

When you’re incentivized to purchase something, it can be hard not to fill your online shopping cart. Whether it is a certain amount of money back, free shipping or even a free gift, it’s difficult to turn down anything that’s free. But here’s the problem: you weren’t going to buy that item or service to begin with, so that free item is really costing you. Sure, you can get a free blanket with your $50 purchase, but you still have to spend $50 to get it. In that case, is it really free, then?

An Item In Your Cart Is Waiting

Have you ever put something in your online cart, only to abandon it? Maybe you were turned off by the shipping costs or you had a glimmer of self-control. Either way, you managed to stop yourself from buying it. Good job! Except, do you really think the retailer will let you abandon their precious, potential sale? Not a chance. These messages can make you feel guilty or more tempted to purchase. They may even offer an incentive to go back and buy it, like 20% off or free shipping. When you see one of these emails in your inbox, remind yourself that there was a reason you abandoned your purchase and click delete.

Affiliate Links And Sponsored Posts

There may be less subtle ways businesses can get you to spend money than promotional offers and ads. Emails that provide tips and other pieces of useful information can also include links to products or services that help. Of course, the products or services aren’t free (and the business may be making money from said links), but you’re already bought in and the tips won’t work without said product or service.

Contests

There may be no purchase required to win, but entering online contests could cost you later. That’s because when you sign up for contests online, you typically sign up to receive marketing emails in the future. These future emails may include promotional emails with one or more of those sneaky subject lines mentioned above. When it comes to contests, many companies will partner with one another, too, offering extra “chances to win” if you sign up for the other company’s newsletters, only adding to the promo emails in your inbox.

How To Curb Your Email Spending

You have several options to help curb your email spending, whether you want to get rid of these types of emails completely or pick and choose which ones you receive or decide to open. Here are a few ideas:

• Unsubscribe from all promotional emails. See details below.
• Refrain from giving retailers your email address online or at the cash register.
• Create an email address specifically for promo emails.
• Create a rule in your email account to send all promo emails to a special folder or trash.
• Remember the common marketing subject lines and delete any of those you see.
• Have an email-only fund. When you have money in the fund, then and only then can you look at promotional emails.
• Be careful of the websites you visit and who you give your email information to. Unscrupulous sites may sell your email information.
• Always read the fine print when providing your email address so you understand how it can be used by the company.
• When filling out your email address, companies will often give you the option to opt out of marketing messages. It may be as simple as unchecking a box.
• Change your email address. If you think your email information has been sold or you just want to start anew, consider changing your email address. While this option is drastic, it may be beneficial, depending on your situation and how you use your email.
• Learn more about the CAN-SPAM Act and your rights as a recipient of marketing emails.

Unsubscribing From Emails

There are a few ways you can unsubscribe from specific emails. Most companies are legally required to provide an unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email. So scroll to the bottom of your emails and use that link. If you have a Gmail account, another way to unsubscribe is through the “unsubscribe” or “change preferences” option next to the sender’s name at the top of the email. You can also block a sender in Gmail by opening the message, clicking “More” in the top right corner and selecting “Block [sender].” You could also try to reply to the email and ask to be removed from their marketing list. If you have an account with the business, log in and change your contact preferences.

If you’re looking for more ways to curb your spending and reach your other finance goals, check out more resources for financial success in our free learning center.