We all have been there, and know how hard it can be sometimes to resist the urge to buy everything in sight! It’s a feeling that creeps up inside you, filling you with the need to buy. Most of the time though, it’s unnecessary and you need to resist that urge of buying on impulse and be more strategic about your shopping adventures.
STOP! No More Buying on Impulse – ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST!
1. Is the item a need or a want?
The urge to make an impulse purchase happens frequently at the beginning of a new season whenever we become completely blind-sided by all of the new arrivals in stores–all strategically placed right in the front! Make sure you think about the item when you see it and look ask yourself if you actually need this addition in your wardrobe. Have you been searching for a piece like this? Talking about it? Dreaming of it for months? Or is it simply an impulse purchase pulling you in?
2. Can I see the item by my side for the long haul?
You need to think about how you are going to be incorporating this into your wardrobe and if it is quality enough to be with you for the long haul. Will it last through many laundry washes? Or will you be schlepping it to the dry cleaners? What is the maintenance of keeping this piece alive for more than one season? Consider these answers as you are flagging down the sales associate to add the item to your fitting room!
3. Will it still be in style next season?
This is a big one-especially if this item has a large price tag! Make sure it is fashionable enough to last a few seasons, that it is a seasonless item, and not so trendy that it goes out of style as fast as it came in.
4. Do I have money set aside for this impulse purchase, or will it be thrown on my credit card?
The worst thing is making an irrational decision to buy something that is out of your price range, and then throwing it on your credit card. What is your budget? Make sure you have thought this concept through before heading to the store.
5. Will I experience buyer’s remorse after my shopping high has subsided?
Think about tomorrow as your are holding that new garment in your hands. I know that whenever you find something new in the store that you love, it makes you feel alive and gives you a natural high–but think about how you will be feeling the next day when those feelings go away. Will you still want the item then?
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