Do you want something that your parents disapprove of, or are you reluctant to ask your parents for something knowing they will refuse? Even if you have your own money, there are some things that parents are forbidden to buy. Learn how to buy the things you want in online or casual stores, and how to hide them from your parents.
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Method 1 of 3: Buying Items in the Shop
Step 1. Save your money
Look for the price of the item you want in online stores or regular stores. Save money earned from a monthly allotment or part-time job to pay for it yourself.
- Keep in mind that taxes are usually added when purchasing an item so the total cost will be slightly more than the original price.
- If you can't find the money yourself, ask a friend or relative to give or lend a little money. However, they probably won't give money without asking for something in return. You can also try mowing the neighbor's long lawn, clearing snow in winter, or babysitting for some extra cash.
Step 2. Go to the store
Ask a friend, older sibling, or someone else who can drive to take you to your destination store. Make sure the person is trustworthy. If you're not allowed out, don't leave the house. Avoid using online transportation because you don't know if the driver coming is not a bad person.
- If you want to take the bus or train, check the route and find out the fastest way to get to your destination. Google Maps is a good way to do this.
- Make sure you have a story that makes sense if your parents ask you why you're late, such as “I missed the bus and the next bus took too long. I fell asleep on the train too!” Also, if there is a follow-up exam at school and you don't have to take it, go on the day of the exam.
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Make sure you have enough money!
Your parents will be suspicious if you come home late for two days in a row.
- If you want to buy a coveted item after school, leave as soon as possible, buy the item, and hurry home to avoid suspicion.
- If you can travel alone: come home from school with a friend who can drive or an older sibling who can pick you up. As much as possible, don't lie to your parents about your goals. If the shop in question is close enough, take a bike or just walk there, especially if there's no one around to drive you or you don't want other people to know about what you're buying.
Step 3. Buy what you want
Purchase the desired item from the store with cash or a shopping card, if available.
- Don't pay for anything with a debit or credit card, especially if the card uses your parent's account because the purchase will appear on the bill and statement of card usage.
- Keep in mind that there is an age limit on certain items and the shopkeeper may ask for an ID before letting you buy them. For example, you need to show that you are over 17 to buy an M-rated game cassette (adult) and you must be at least 21 to buy alcohol. If you're not old enough to buy what you want, ask an older person to buy it with your money.
Step 4. Put the item in the bag
Hide the purchased items in your backpack or the bag you usually carry so you can take them home without making your parents suspicious.
- Throw away shopping bags or other evidence that you don't need.
- If the item you buy is so large or bulky that it can't be hidden in your bag, make sure you have a friend who can help you carry it. Take it with you when your parents are not home so they don't see it.
Method 2 of 3: Buying Items Online
Step 1. Buy a shopping card (gift card)
Purchase a shopping card from an online store that sells the item you're looking for. You can find various types of shopping cards at the shopping center or at the store you want to visit. Most shopping cards can be used for online purchases.
- If you can't buy a shopping card for a certain online store that sells your dream goods, you can buy a Visa shopping card or similar ready-to-use credit card that can be used anywhere. You can also try using an amazon shopping card to buy anything from Amazon.com.
- Remember, when ordering items online, there will be tax, shipping and handling fees added to the total price so you'll have to pay a little more than the item's selling price. If you want to avoid the extra costs of shipping and handling, buy the item directly at the store. However, keep in mind that some websites like Amazon and Best Buy waive shipping and handling fees for certain items. So, first check the shipping and handling policies of the item before buying it on the site.
Step 2. Enter the required information to place an order
Visit the item you are looking for in the online store and enter all the information requested before buying, including your name and address. Enter the code on the shopping card when you are asked to specify a payment method. Don't use the debit or credit card your parents used to pay for online orders, as these purchases will appear on the card's transaction report.
- Make sure you use an email address that only you can access to get confirmation emails and updates from the seller.
- Avoid sending goods through shipping services that ask you to sign when you receive them. Opt for regular shipping, such as postal, if you can.
- Consider asking a friend for permission to have your package delivered to their home so your parents won't see it. If you use this method, enter the person's name and address when placing your order, but keep your personal email address.
Step 3. Track shipments periodically
Revisit the website where you made the purchase or check the confirmation email that was sent with “track your package” or something like that. Keep track of your packages in this way to know when they arrive at your house or at a friend's house.
If there's no option to track the package, pay attention to the estimated delivery time available in the online store. Pay attention to whether they send an email about the goods that have been sent along with the estimated delivery time, for example within 7-10 days, or according to the time range stated in the email
Step 4. Check your mailbox regularly
Try to check the post box ahead of your parents on the day the package arrives. When you get it, put the package in your backpack or other bag you normally use, then take it to your room.
- Pay attention to the arrival time of the package every day so you can wait in front of the house or check the post box at that time. You can even ask the whereabouts of the package to the delivery person who passes in front of the house.
- If the package is usually sent while you're at school or doing something else, you may need to send it to the address of a friend or other trusted person and pick it up yourself.
Method 3 of 3: Hiding Purchases
Step 1. Hide at home
Find a good place to hide your purchased items and take them out when your parents aren't home or aren't paying attention. Look for places with small openings, such as under furniture.
- Be careful and don't choose places where parents might go to clean, pick up dirty clothes, or for other reasons, such as wardrobes, drawers, or other storage areas.
- If the item you purchased is too large or difficult to hide, consider keeping it at a trusted friend's house and using it there, or carefully moving it to your home whenever possible.
Step 2. Hide proof of purchase
Hide proof of purchase or other evidence so your parents don't find it and ask about it.
- You still need to keep proof of purchase and packaging of goods in case the item needs to be returned or exchanged.
- If you order it online, keep the proof of purchase included with the product, but throw away the shipping packaging when your parents aren't looking. Throwing it in the trash at school or in a public place is much safer than at home.
Step 3. Clear search history
If you buy an item online or do an internet search before or after buying it, delete your search history, especially if you use a computer that your parents use frequently.
Open the settings in the history column or the browser you are using, then clear all recent history or visited websites. You can also select and delete the history you want to hide from your parents
Step 4. Use your stuff discreetly
Take the item out of its hiding place when your parents aren't home or can't catch you. You can also wear it at a friend's house or at school.
Make sure you keep the item in a backpack or closed container when moving it from one place to another
Step 5. Say the object is a gift to the parents
If your parents find an item you bought and are suspicious of its origin, but you don't want to admit it, say it's a gift from a program or other contest, such as collecting bottle caps or finding a gift code on a beverage product.
- You may need to prepare a collection of bottle caps or other evidence to show that you actually participated in the contest.
- You can also tell that the item is a gift from a friend or classmate.
- Remember, lying to your parents is not a good idea. So, avoid this step and don't make excuses. If a parent asks about a purchase, the best option is to talk honestly about the origin of the item.
Step 6. Acknowledge the item you purchased
You may decide to acknowledge purchases to parents. Consider that they may be angry if they find out the truth, but hiding it is useless because it will eventually be found out.
- If you've asked your parents for permission to buy something and they refuse, you can say “Hey, I know you guys told me not to buy this, but I bought it with my own money. Sorry for buying it secretly, but I want to be honest at this point and don't want to hide it."
- If you haven't asked your parents' permission before, you can casually mention the purchase to your parents and hope they won't mind it if you're old enough to own the item and buy it with your own money.
Tips
- Some websites give you the option of picking up the parcel yourself at the nearest post office. Just bring proof of identity when you want to pick it up.
- Also clear the history of this article from your browser so that your parents don't know.
- This is a great way to buy gifts for your parents, not just for yourself!
- If you live with both of your parents and want to give one of them a gift, ask the other parent to surprise you!
- Don't use other people's credit cards.
- You can buy your stuff and reason that it's a gift for them. However, you can't use this excuse to buy illegal things, like alcohol or drugs.
- If you and your adult partner don't want to take the risk (logically, this is unlikely), don't buy alcohol or drugs that can cause legal problems and wait until you're of age before using these products.
- If you're making an online purchase and are worried that your parents will see your purchase history or catch a package that's arrived, ask a friend to buy it for you and have your coveted item delivered to your home. He can then hand the package to you at school or you can go to a friend's house to pick it up yourself.
