How to avoid buyer's remorse
I should come out and say it – I’m failing miserably at my shopping ban. Part of it is because of my low EQ, but the other part is due to the fact that I want a new wardrobe filled with separates and (non-boring) classic pieces. I can’t wait three months to get started, so I’ll put off the ban when I have almost everything I need.
In my defense, I’ve gotten a lot more careful about my purchases. When I really think about it, many of the clothes I regret buying aren’t the big splurges; many little items end up unworn because I bought them on impulse. It’s either they don’t fit well, or they’re too trendy and no longer suit my style. The real challenge for me right now is to renew my style while filling my closet with as few unwanted pieces as possible.
Photo from here
Buyer’s remorse or regretting a purchase is an awful feeling. Not only are you stuck with an item that you paid for, but you feel uncomfortable when you wear it and you feel guilty when you don’t. I’ve been coming up with ways to avoid buyer’s remorse, and here are the strategies that I’m using right now:
Give yourself time to think about it
When I find an item I like, I’ve learned to give myself a few hours to think about it. Unless it’s the last item in my size and I really really really want it, I can think about the item for a day or two and it’ll still be there waiting to be bought. Even leaving the store and wandering around the mall for a few hours does wonders for my perspective. Most of the time, I grow too lazy to come back and give it a second look. And if I do return, the item I want often doesn’t look as desirable as it did the first time. An item is worth buying when I stay up all night just thinking about it – but this rarely ever happens.
Buy only what you truly love
Aside from staples like tank tops and socks, I make sure I LOVE the things I buy. If I don’t want to marry it and make babies with it, then it’s probably not worth the X amount of money on the price tag. I’ve learned to stop buying things just because I’ve been walking around for two hours and haven’t spotted a single thing I like, and hey, these shoes are on sale!
Be careful about trends
I often get so excited about a trend that I buy several pieces at once. But trends are more fickle than a woman’s mind, and there’s nothing worse than being stuck with a closet filled with dated items. Before buying trendy pieces, I’ve learned to consider three things:
- They must go with at least three different outfits made of items I already own.
- As much as possible, the item should only have hints of the trend so I can continue to wear it without looking so 2011.
- If it must be too trendy, it shouldn’t cost more than P500. That way, I won’t feel too bad about wearing it a handful of times and letting it go for coins.
Remember: A bargain isn’t always a bargain
If I’d only realized that many of the items I thrifted aren’t really bargains, I could have saved myself a lot of money and closet space. Basically, if it’s not a quality piece, an item you can wear frequently, or an item you’d pay for at full price – then it’s not a bargain. I’ve written about this in greater detail at my previous article, “When is a bargain really a bargain?” The strategies in this article have also helped me temper my spending and avoid buyer’s remorse.
