4 Questions To Ask Before You Buy Anything

Whether you’re trying to save money, be more minimalist and keep your home free of clutter or you simply only want to use your money for the things that really matter to you. Here are 4 questions to ask before you buy anything.

• Do I love it?
• Do I need it?
• Will it significantly improve my life or the life of someone else?
• Can I afford it?

Let’s take a deeper look at each question in turn.

Do I love it?

Sometimes, the simple reason that you love something is a good enough reason to buy something.

If you can afford it, have the space for it, feel it will add something to your life then, go for it and buy it if you want to. Enjoy it and love owning it.

My only advice here is to give yourself a little time. I’ve bought things in the past that I absolutely loved at the time and then regretted the purchase very soon afterwards.

If I see something I really want and love in a shop. I will pick it up and walk around with it for a while.

Here’s an example. I saw a beautiful vase I loved. I walked around with it for a while and I considered, where I would put it in my home and how it would look. Also how it would make me feel seeing it in my home.

I also asked myself, can I just enjoy seeing this beautiful item here in the shop without needing to buy it and take it home with me.

I ended up putting the vase back. Whilst I could see where I would put the item in my home I realized I already had a beautiful vase there that I enjoyed seeing and adding another item there would make the area feel cluttered.

Sometimes we can enjoy the beauty of things without needing to actually buy them.

Do I need it?

If it’s something you need and you have the money to buy it, go for it. Alternatively, you could look into whether you could borrow the item or rent it if it’s something you only need for a short time.

If you need it and can’t afford it, things get tricky. If you have your emergency fund set up, your next question is… Is this an emergency? Or is it something that I need but I can wait a little longer for?

Here’s an example. I need a new energy-efficient dehumidifier. I live in an old house which is prone to getting damp. My last one broke and it wasn’t very energy efficient.

I do have a small dehumidifier that’s meant for smaller spaces but for the time being I’m able to move it around the house as needed. It’s not perfect but it’s a short term solution.

If you need it and can’t afford it, can you borrow the item or get it second hand for a cheaper price?

Reach out to friends, family and your local community to see if anyone already has this item and could lend it to you.

I encourage you to do everything you can to avoid getting into debt to purchase an item. And please know that I haven’t always done this.

I’ve bought things I couldn’t afford and worried about it later. It’s a tough cycle to break once it’s started though. And long-term, not your solution.

Will it significantly impact my life or the life of someone else?

I love old towels. New ones just don’t feel right to me. The towels I have for myself are very old and occasionally I have to cut threads off them.

Every now and then, I think I need to buy new ones. But then I ask myself “Will it significantly impact my life or the life of someone else?” The answer is NO.

My life’s just fine with my old towels. I really like them and I very much doubt if me having new towels will make anyone else’s life better.

So, if you’re in a dilemma about whether to buy something, this is a great question to ask yourself. Will it significantly improve my life or the life of someone else?

All too often we buy things because we feel like we should. Asking this question helps you to only buy things that you genuinely want.

Can I afford it?

For me, if the answer is no, this is a clear reason NOT TO BUY. If I can’t afford it, I can’t buy it. Now, I do know that life isn’t always so simple and it certainly hasn’t been for me money-wise over the years.

Ideally, you’ll have an emergency fund in place but what if you haven’t and the fridge breaks down. You need a fridge but you can’t afford it. What then?

This is a really difficult decision. In this case, I would say, do whatever you can to try and get a fridge to keep you going for as little as possible or free. Then start saving for a new one and start building that emergency fund.

Now, Let’s look at a different scenario. The item you want to buy is a new bag. You already have at least one bag that does the job you need it to do and still looks fine.

In this case, you do not NEED the item and you can’t afford it, so don’t buy it. Instead, put money aside each week or month until you can afford it and then decide if you still really want it.

In general, if you answer NO to the question “Can I afford it?” then don’t buy it.

Please note that I haven’t always been that good at following this rule, so no judgement if you haven’t been doing this. But if you’re reading this post, I would love you to make this a firm rule moving forward.

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