I love spending money. I really do. If you give me a credit card and set me loose in the mall, I will come out with my arms full of bags of items I really don’t need (or may only wear once). Still, it’s one thing to spend money on something frivolous every now and again, but it’s another thing entirely to purchase a commitment you might regret.
For those of you who spend money as easily as I do, here are 10 things you really should sleep on before buying.
#1 A New Car
No matter what anyone says, purchasing a new car should be done with care. You should invest days into shopping around, going to different dealerships, test driving different cars and otherwise formulating a decision for this type of commitment.
If you don’t do your research, there’s the possibility you’ll leave the lot with an impulse buy that guzzles gas and has no warranty.
#2 Expensive Shoes
Who doesn’t love shoes? I love it when my feet look cute. Still, I’ve been known to spend hundreds of dollars on shoes that I never wear. Sometimes I never wear them because I have no place to go, but most of the time it’s because those shoes were an impulse buy and they don’t really fit properly no matter how many times I convinced myself “they would stretch.”
If the shoes cost more than fifty bucks (and even that number just made me cringe), walk away and come back tomorrow if they’re still on your must have list.
#3 Any Musical Instrument
Guitar? I own one. Do I play? No. However, I keep telling myself that “someday I will learn to play the guitar.” As optimistic as it is to say the word “someday,” the truth is that this was an impulse buy in the still unfulfilled hopes of becoming a rock star.
I’m into drums anyway, so the guitar does me no good. Before you buy that awesome banjo or that gorgeous (and terribly expensive) harp, take a few lessons and see if it’s really what you want to invest your time and money into.
#4 Plane Tickets
If I had the money to impulse buy a ticket to Italy, I would have done it a long time ago. However, I know very few people who can just travel on a moment’s notice.
Before you pull out your passport (and your wallet), make sure you can take time off work, have enough spending money, make hotel reservations, find someone to feed Fluffy, and make sure you shopped around for the best price.
In other words, impulse flights sound like fun, but the reality is never easy.
#5 A Fixer Upper
Do you watch a lot of HGTV? Do you ever think to yourself, “I could do that! I could buy a house and fix it up, or flip it and make some money!”? Here’s my advice: Don’t do it. A fixer upper is a lot more work than it seems on TV.
Also, what if you flip it but can’t sell it and now you have two mortgages and you’re out the cost of the flip? See what I mean? Never impulse buy a fixer upper. I don’t recommend impulse buying a house at all.
#6 Any Dress That Costs More Than a Paycheck
You see there’s this trick that sales associates do where they give you a beautiful (and expensive) dress and then wait until you come out of the dressing room wearing it.
Once they see you in that dress, they “Oooh” and “Ahhh” over you, gather the other sales associates who do the same, and BAM! You own a dress that cost you your rent. It’s a very good trick. Don’t fall for it.
#7 Lingerie
You see it on the mannequin, that amazing lacy thing with leather straps and a corset. You want it and you know you’re going to look awesome in it!
You find your size, you buy it and take it home, and then you spend an hour trying to squeeze into it just to look at yourself in the mirror in shame.
Never impulsively buy lingerie without trying it on first.
#8 A Timeshare
I’m a huge fan of timeshare people. I don’t just mean those of you who own timeshares, I mean those who sell them, too! It’s brilliant!
If you promise me a couple of weeks a year in sunny Florida overlooking a beach full of tan college guys playing volleyball in the sun, I’m totally in! That’s why it’s so brilliant.
Still, there’s always fine print, isn’t there? Before you sign the dotted line with visions of coconut oil in your head, take a few days and think on it.
Think real hard. Are you really going to take time off work and go to Florida?
Can you honestly afford that timeshare?
Is it really worth it when you could just get a hotel for the week?
#9 A Pet
If you’ve ever walked into a pet store, you probably already know where I’m going with this. Before you commit yourself to years of companionship with a cat or dog (or any other animal for that matter), remember this: Your pet will live a long time.
In other words, if your little snuggle wuggums scratches your curtains, poops in the kitchen, and hates every human being on the planet, especially you, you’re in for a miserable life.
Also, pets are expensive. Seriously, think long and hard before you give in to the cuteness.
#10 A Male Escort (I’m Not Kidding)
They’re hot, it’s been a long time since you’ve had sex, and you have a little extra money. Why not purchase an escort for the night? Quite simply: Because it’s expensive and you can go and find a date somewhere else (like the local bar where the guys actually spend money buying you a drink).
Don’t impulse buy a date; wait until you’ve done one last check around the bars first.
So tell me, what are you guilty of regretfully impulse buying?
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