p is for purchasing.

My buyer behavior varied a lot over the course of this trip. I noticed that at the beginning of the trip I tried really hard to try and conserve my money. I knew that I had a limited amount of funds in my bank account and so I did my best to budget for the various locations on the trip. It was hard because I wanted to be very cavalier in my spending because I was in a foreign country. My thought process was, “when am I ever going to be back here?” I also wanted to purchase certain items for my family. I did a lot of my budgeting with food so that I could have more money for souvenirs and it was very easy to eat for a small amount of money.

I noticed that as the trip went on I was a lot freer with my money because I had budgeted so well at the beginning and I had extra money. We started out in Argentina and then we went to Brazil and ended in Peru. I knew that Argentina and Brazil were going to be more expensive than Peru so that also affected my purchases. It was easier to shop in markets where you had the opportunity to barter. When you barter it makes you feel like you are getting a deal, even if you’re not. Also, in smaller markets it is easier to be affected by the emotional aspect of purchasing. When you see really poor people and they have their small children, it breaks your heart and makes me less willing to barter.