Fox News: Do you spend more at fast-food restaurants than you want to? Consider this

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Do you spend more at fast-food restaurants than you want to? Consider this

Fast-food restaurants use a technique called "charm pricing" to entice customers to spend more money than they perhaps intended. But a psychotherapist has advice for how to stay within food goals.......                    ...                        ...The prices of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login have been rising steadily over the years — and some restaurants use a technique that entices people to pay more than perhaps they were planning to, a psychotherapist told Fox News Digital. ......The so-called "charm pricing" technique is why many You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login are not priced at full dollar amounts, Jonathan Alpert, a New York-based psychotherapist and author, told Fox News Digital......."Our brains process numbers quickly and often emotionally, especially during purchasing decisions," Alpert said.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......When an item is priced at $9.99, "our minds latch onto the '9' as the anchor, associating it with a smaller cost, even if logically we know it's close to $10," he said. ......This is called the "left-digit effect," according to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login and culture website The Takeout. ......"This can trick you into feeling like an item is less expensive," according to The Takeout. ......"If you're buying three items priced at $5.99, your brain might immediately assume the total is $15, when in actuality it's closer to $18."......It added that people may feel they're "getting a bargain or a deal." ......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Aside from this "charm pricing," You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login other ways to get people to spend more money than they planned, Alpert said.  ......These include offering an "appealing menu design or descriptive language that makes the purchase feel more worthwhile and indulgent," he said. ......Fox News Digital reached out to the National Restaurant Association, which declined to comment.......Fox News Digital also reached out to several fast-food chains seeking comment.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Alpert noted that there are ways to combat the pressure to overspend......."A helpful tip is to always round up," he said. "When you see $9.99, think of it as $10."......Doing this, he said, "can reduce the emotional impact of charm pricing and help you make more rational decisions."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or LoginYou are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Another technique is to think through purchases carefully and make a decision to spend less impulsively. ......"Pause and ask yourself if the item is really worth the cost or if you're being swayed by how it's presented," Alpert said......."Developing mindful spending habits can help you resist psychological tricks and make choices that align with your goals," he also said. ...

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