Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Buying Something

[jeffrey]

What questions do you think are important for everyone to ask before they purchase something: For example, the obvious "Do I really need this?" Since everyone is different, a good list would enable everyone to pick a few to try and get into the habit of asking before they make a purchase which can help control spending. Let's hear those questions you ask yourself...

[wakkus]

My main question would be what amount of happiness will this purchase give me and for how long. For instance, buying a new car is always going to be fun when you get it. For me it took about 2 weeks before it really didn't do that much for me. Oops, that was a lot of money.

But I have to admit that in most cases, I'm usually so frugal that most of the time I practically auto veto a purchase. It's so bad to the point that really I have to go through a process to convince myself to buy something.

That includes things like new underwear... when I really really need to buy new underwear....

[project15]

A couple things I ask myself is "Is it a quality product?" "Will I get my money's worth out of it?" "Will I continue to use it after the novelty wears off?"

BTW, I always worry that the fun factor of my cars would go away after a while, but that hasn't happened with any of the cars I've owned. I guess that's because I'm still a younger male driver and like to let loose with the car every once in a while.

[corns]

I ask myself, "Could I get the same product from somewhere else for free? If not, Could I buy this cheaper somewhere else? Does this price justify the quality?

[tinapbeana]

when it comes to clothing and shoes, this is what my mom raised me and my sister with:
do you love it? (not just like it)
does it fit? (off the rack without alterations)
will you wear it? (does it work with items you already own)

these three questions help curb the urges to buy those 'great' clearance deals that wind up sitting in the back of one's closet.

a question i started asking myself a few years ago:
how many hours will i have to work for this? will i get not just my money's worth, but my time's worth as well?

this question helps me keep things in perspective. for instance, if i have to work 2 hours for a pair of shoes and wind up wearing them once b/c the aren't comfortable, i'm getting a bad deal. but, if i have to work 10 hours for a pair of shoes that i wind up wearing 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, for several years: i'm definitely getting my time and my money's worth.

[MonkeyMama]

I just have to say great suggestions. I kind of run through all these things, but for bigger or longer-term expenses I always run through how much I have to work (extra even) to pay for it. It really puts things in perspective.

[Harrison]

I will ask myself "Can this thing help me financially, mentally and physically?"

Financially means whether it can help me to make more money short term or long term

Mentally means whether it can give some encouragement, happiness or motivation to me

physically means whether it can help my body or good to me and people around me

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Do I have a place to put this / put this away?

If clothing, will this need dry cleaning or ironing?--because I never seem to get around to doing either.

[nitajaye]

I use the past, present and future questions

Past- Did I have a need for it before I saw it, Did the one i had break,

Present- Is this something I NEED now, will i use it NOW, Do I have room for it NOW.

Future- Will i continue to use, wear,play with it, Will it become and issue in time or space, Can I return it if I have a moment of weakness in the present.

[shengmei]

I usually ask myself how many units of the same product are left on the shelf and how likely the store will restock the item. I rarely buy something the first time I see it, but lately my indecisiveness had been really costing me.

Lately there had been several items that was a great deal (more than 90% off) but by the time I decided to buy them, they were gone. I shop mostly clearance items.

[lgslgs]

I used to calculate how many work hours it equates to and asked myself if it was worth leaving my home and family and delaying my retirement by that many hours.

After I retired early I started calculating how many hours it equated to and asking myself if I really wanted to manage my money in a way that I might need to someday leave the house and go work a few hours to recover the cost of a particular purchase.

Lynda

[brig2221]

I finally think I have reached a milestone in my life in that I don't make emotional purchases anymore.

I used to be the type that wouldn't spend a whole lot of money, but then I would all of a sudden see an ad for an Apple Macbook laptop, or see someone with one, get an itch to buy it, and then buy it.

After doing this several times over the years and blowing untold amounts of money, I finally came to the realization that those were emotional purchases. The things I was buying were meant to make me "happy". Well, they didn't, and almost all of the time I lost most all interest in them weeks to months later.

The good news is that I have always had the money to afford these binge purchases. That said, regardless of whether you have the money or not, it was money wasted or money that could have been much better spent in other areas.

So, the question I ask myself before I purchase anything, especially large purchases is, do I really need this, and will I use it enough to justify spending that amount? More often than not, the answer is no, and I move on, and forget about it.

[Ima saver]

I think one reason why I almost always buy sporty cars is that I do enjoy them for years and years and years. I still have my beautiful 1978 tu tone blue corvette that I bought new in 1978.

Just today, someone came up to me in a store and told me what a beautiful car I was driving. (newer, red corvette)

Someone on here said that they were a younger male and that is why they enjoyed their cars. Well, I am an older woman and I expect to be driving a corvette when I am 85!!