Even the savviest shoppers fall off the wagon sometimes and buy items on impulse.  According to a new poll featured in the November 2009 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, 60 percent of women have bought something on a whim in the last year. With the average cost of their most recent impulse purchase at $108, falling off the wagon is not always cheap.

Here are some of the interesting findings from the poll:

- While 60% of women have made an impulse purchase in the past year, 39% of women have done so within the past month.

- 15% of women admit they often buy things on impulse 

- Impulse shopping inevitably causes regrets.  Over 35% of women regretted an impulse purchase made in the past 12 months.

- Few recoup money from a bad impulse purchase.  Only 25% of women return the item, 25% donated it or gave it away, and 20% hid or tossed it.

- 42% say they made their most recent impulse purchase because it was a great price or was on sale.

- So what are people buying on impulse?  25% bought clothing,  14% bought food, 6% bought accessories, 5% bought electronics, 4% cosmetics and 2% jewelry.

- 33% bought their most recent impulse purchase at a mass merchandiser like Target or Wal-Mart.