How stores are designed to get customers to buy more

'Tis the season to shop till you drop, but before you pull out your wallet, check out these tips on saving some cash.

No, it’s not through couponing or searching for deals online. It starts with what you do when you walk through the doors of a store.

Whether you're aware of it or not, a store is laid out in a very specific way to get you to spend more.

Those huge shopping carts are always conveniently placed right as you walk in, but the small baskets seem harder to find. The store's hope is that you'll fill up that shopping cart with more items than if you had a small basket.

Gone are the days of stores playing elevator music to create a sense of calmness. Now, it’s all about upbeat music to create a happy atmosphere, hoping you want to stay and shop longer.

Just like speed bumps on a road, stores place tables, clothing racks and other obstacles around businesses to get customers to slow down and look at more items.

How about those big signs that say, “buy one, get the next one half off?” Seems like a great deal, that is if you’re planning on buying two. If you only need one, buying another half off is still getting you to spend more than you were planning.

And when you're ready to try on clothes, don't be tricked by the sale rack that’s usually placed right by the dressing rooms. It's one last chance for stores to get you to pick up more items.

Oh and here's one last tip: you're going to see a lot of discount signs with 10, 20 maybe even 50% off an item, but consumer experts say nothing is a deal unless it's 30% off or more.