Centsible Life

Helping Women Live Healthier, Happier, and Wealthier

Shopping guide: The “Should I Buy It?” Test

By 28 Comments

About a month ago my girls were playing in the living room behind a chair. They were building a tent. A crash and bang later, and the sole lamp in the living room, a floor lamp with a glass shade, was gone. I was a bit upset, but it was a free to us lamp, I was mainly upset that they could have gotten hurt! Glass shade+kids= bad idea.

I didn’t rush out to replace it, both because we only spend what we have, and we don’t spend a lot of time in the living room in the evening. If we need light we can turn on the hall light or dining room light to see, but usually we retreat to our office or bedroom after the kids’ bedtime.

While I was shopping at Target last week I found a lamp I liked on the end cap. If you don’t shop the Target end caps you are missing out! They put all their clearance stuff there, stuff that is ridiculously marked down at times, just to clear more space for the new stuff coming in. It was a base, pretty and a large size for only $7.99. So I put it in my cart and walked into the lamp aisle to find a shade. After 15 minutes, the lamp went back on that end cap.

It passed my “Should I buy this?” test.

  • We need it. We would like to spend more time in our living room, but the setup isn’t practical right now.
  • We have the cash for it. This should be a no brainer, but for many years cost was calculated by minimum payments, or hopes of cash falling from the sky.
  • It was value purchase. Value purchases are deals on things that are good quality. Value purchases are NOT the cheapest item, nor are they an expensive item because they are good quality. They are both a deal, and quality enough to withstand my crazy house.

So why didn’t I buy it?

I am sure you have your own theories, but here is why I put it back. The lamp base was a representation of something bigger. Making the living room more liveable. If I bought the lamp base, I would have to buy a shade (cheapest option: $19.99). If I bought the lamp base and shade, I would have to buy a table since we have none in that room. (Target options started at $49.99) If I bought a table, I would need to move furniture around to fit it. The best option would be to toss the jumped on, ripped, missing cushions couch with a new couch. (Ikea sells them for $299) And lastly I would want to paint the room ($50), buy a new rug ($200), and get a coffee table ($100).

So the lamp went back, because having a lamp in that room means a makeover of the room, total cost about $700. We’ll get to it someday but for now that $700 room makeover is another $700 in debt paid off.

Do you ever find yourself purchasing something that leads to other purchases? What questions do you ask yourself before you buy something?

Did you catch the word I used above when I was talking about buying the lamp base that was a red flag for spendaholics? Leave me a comment if you spotted it. If you get it right you may just win a little something. 😉

Kelly

About Kelly


Kelly Whalen is the founder and editor of the Centsible Life. She started the blog in 2008 as her family faced a mountain of debt and the fixer upper they purchased became a FIXER UPPER. The website was born out of her desire to share what was working (and what was not) on her family's journey to financial security. Kelly lives in Minneapolis with her family.


Comments

  1. Kelly - hmm…it was ONLY $7.99 - well, you just HAD to buy it then. LOL! What I learned from this post was your use of the "value" purchase. "Value purchases are deals on things that are good quality. Value purchases are NOT the cheapest item, nor are they an expensive item because they are good quality. They are both a deal, and quality.." I had no idea that this was a science, but it makes total sense. Thanks for a great post!

  2. Kelly - hmm…it was ONLY $7.99 - well, you just HAD to buy it then. LOL! What I learned from this post was your use of the "value" purchase. "Value purchases are deals on things that are good quality. Value purchases are NOT the cheapest item, nor are they an expensive item because they are good quality. They are both a deal, and quality.." I had no idea that this was a science, but it makes total sense. Thanks for a great post!

  3. Exactly. That kind of language is your way of talking yourself into buying. Thankfully my free time is limited so shopping for no reason is mostly a thing of the past for me.

  4. Exactly. That kind of language is your way of talking yourself into buying. Thankfully my free time is limited so shopping for no reason is mostly a thing of the past for me.

  5. most of the time…that's why lately I try to think more than twice before buying stuff, recently I bought an induction stove that led me to buy a new set of cooking ware.

  6. most of the time…that's why lately I try to think more than twice before buying stuff, recently I bought an induction stove that led me to buy a new set of cooking ware.

  7. I'm thinking the word only..sometimes this hooks me. I try not to spend too much, but see something that's "only" xxx and end up buying and then ask myself why.

  8. I'm thinking the word only..sometimes this hooks me. I try not to spend too much, but see something that's "only" xxx and end up buying and then ask myself why.

  9. "only" (I noticed it even before I read the other comments 😉

    It's one of the words that makes me decide not to buy stuff…if I have to justify it, it's not worth it.

  10. "only" (I noticed it even before I read the other comments 😉

    It's one of the words that makes me decide not to buy stuff…if I have to justify it, it's not worth it.

  13. Great post! Really enjoyed reading and looking forward to checking out more of your site. I am also in Philly Mom Bloggers and read your "newbies" post. I have really slacked w/my blog but would love to get back in the swing of things - I started blogging to help out my business Chesapeake Ribbons.

  14. Great post! Really enjoyed reading and looking forward to checking out more of your site. I am also in Philly Mom Bloggers and read your "newbies" post. I have really slacked w/my blog but would love to get back in the swing of things - I started blogging to help out my business Chesapeake Ribbons.

  15. Yes, I was also thinking "only." As someone who struggles with shopping temptation, that's the buzzword that got me going!

  16. Yes, I was also thinking "only." As someone who struggles with shopping temptation, that's the buzzword that got me going!

  17. "only" $7.99. "only" is a loaded word that may be used to justify buying the lamp but doesn't address the potential hidden or actual costs of the purchase.

  18. "only" $7.99. "only" is a loaded word that may be used to justify buying the lamp but doesn't address the potential hidden or actual costs of the purchase.

  21. Ernest, close! It is hard for some people to pass up a deal. Personally I'm immune to that line of thinking, I'm more likely to justify my spending by rationalizing it.

  22. Ernest, close! It is hard for some people to pass up a deal. Personally I'm immune to that line of thinking, I'm more likely to justify my spending by rationalizing it.

  23. Ding, ding, ding! @nffcnnr is the winner! Sending you an email about the prize. 🙂

    "Only" is a red flag, it's a psychological justification for spending money.

  24. Ding, ding, ding! @nffcnnr is the winner! Sending you an email about the prize. 🙂

    "Only" is a red flag, it's a psychological justification for spending money.

  25. has to be "only" - it's my downfall. . .I've "only" spent this much this week, the book is "only", look - a new bedding set for "only". . .

    Hillary

  26. has to be "only" - it's my downfall. . .I've "only" spent this much this week, the book is "only", look - a new bedding set for "only". . .

    Hillary

  27. "Clearance" would be my guess for the red flag. I've been suckered into many purchases thinking, "I can't let this one go — it's on clearance!".

  28. "Clearance" would be my guess for the red flag. I've been suckered into many purchases thinking, "I can't let this one go — it's on clearance!".

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