Beyond spent: The ways women buy dangerously on impulse

Sure, everyone's watching their spending -- but in some areas, women in particular are blowing it. "There is some dangerous impulse buying going on, and it's being driven by fear, and our obsession with buying bargains," says Kit Yarrow, professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University. She says we overindulge at warehouse clubs, outlets ... and, most predominantly, here:

Sample Sales
"People are just buying stuff for the label even though what's on sale may just be slow-selling merchandise, irregulars, liquidation of a previous season, overstock, or items that buyers didn't want," says Kathryn Finney, author of "How To Be a Budget Fashionista: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less." "You're better off paying full-price for something you'll wear all the time than half price for something you'll wear once, or not at all."