Five ways to avoid impulse buys  If shopping is a contact sport,
the entire marketing industry is in one corner of the ring; in
the other, you stand alone. How can you even up the odds of
spending only as much as you can afford, and only on those items
you really want or need? Here are five suggestions to counter
those enticements to impulse buying.  1. Don't sit down. Not
long ago, I had a question about my bank account, so I stopped
at my local branch. The teller hooked me up with one of the
cubicle people who escorted me to his office so he could look up
my account. As I took a seat, however, I belatedly realized that
this was merely a ruse to get me on his turf. Sure enough, he
immediately began pitching new credit cards, CDs, and other
products. I'm embarrassed to say that I ended up with a rewards
card I have no use for, and now I have to go to the trouble of
canceling it. I'll never sit down in a bank office, car
dealership or showroom again, unless I'm committed to a
purchase. Remain on your feet and