Cash poor during spring? Blame the weather

We all know inflation and supply chain kinks are leading to price increases on almost everything. Even cautious shoppers need to beware of spring and its weather changes. Sudden warm temperatures after the cold, dark winter and can actually trigger frenzied shopping.

"Think about how the weather changes from day to day. Yesterday I was at the Delaware shore, it was in the 70s and I felt great. Those animal spirits were coming out. I was all set to go shopping," Paul Walsh, General Manager of Breezometer.com told FOX Weather Sunday. "When we move into this time of year, the weather plays a really big part in driving what we call weather driven demand."

Demand for spring wardrobe 'essentials' goes up with the temperature. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Seasonal temperature outlooks from the National Weather Service forecast above normal temperatures for over the half of the U.S. for the month of April. As demand outpaces supply, prices rise.

 NOAA forecasts a warmer than normal April for much of the country. The reds and oranges show the percent chance of warmer than normal temperatures for the month. (NOAA.gov)

"We're all going to be looking at to sort of change out the closet with new spring apparel, especially after the last two years where we were basically locked in," said Walsh. "So I think seasonal apparel also obviously lawn and garden items, all of those things are going to jump pretty high."

Supply chain issues and inflation already caused prices on most goods to rise. (Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"One thing I know about the weather-driven demand is it oftentimes trumps price," said Walsh. "And so that's going to basically help businesses, but it's going to cost us a bit more to really get into the spring spirit."

Psychologists agree that Spring Fever can lift spirits and moods. More hours of sunlight in the spring boost serotonin and dopamine levels.

(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"People may feel more energy or a renewed sense of self in the spring," Carly McCord, Ph.D. and assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine told the school’s newsletter, Vital Record. "They may become inspired to do some spring-cleaning or start to eat healthy."

Bargain hunters be wary of spring. Walsh told FOX Weather that unless you really want something, resist the urge and wait.

Spring fever gets people shopping explained Walsh. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"You might want to wait a little bit until we get into May and June and maybe there'll be some relief around the pricing," he said. "But I think when we move in April, we're going to see some pretty strong, continued inflation."