There are too many times I have made a purchase and only to realize that I already had that item at home, it didn’t fit me, the piece of clothing didn’t go with anything in my closet. Sometimes I have made purchases (especially when items are on sale) and I think this is a great gift or I will use it someday and then never do. Even though I know this is a bad behavior I continue to make poor choices. I do evenutally donate those items, but by that time they are out of style and likely no one else wants them either. I realize at that point, I should not have made that purchase.
A ton of what we buy every day never actually gets use – whether its food that goes bad in the fridge or clothing we never actually wear, we tend to buy a lot that we simply don’t need! Here are some tips I plan to use to avoid unnecessary purchases.
Before you buy, ask yourself:
– Do I need it?
– Are the resources that went into it renewable, or non-renewable?
– Is there anything I already own that I could substitute for it?
– Could I borrow it from a friend, neighbor, or family member?
– Do I want to pay or work to maintain it?
Become an advertising critic. Think about an ad before you agree with it. Who is the ad geared towards, and what do you think the product will really help you with? Is this ad promising you more than a product can really give you? Do you already have something that fills this need?
Avoid the mall. Go hiking, ride your bike, get together with a group of friends and play a game orcook a meal together. What other kinds of social activities can you do that don’t center on shopping?
Find out what public transportation can save you – time, money, and peace of mind. When someone else is doing the driving, you can relax and you don’t have to worry about gas, parking, or tickets.
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