Are you kicking around the idea of making a big purchase? Whether this significant purchase is a new vehicle, home, puppy, sports gear, investment - it's a big deal, and can be very exciting!
I mean, you've likely been thinking about this purchase for some time now and have been saving up for months, if not, years to make this purchase.
Before you swipe your card, make that transfer, or drop off the check - ask yourself these 7 questions.
What is it that you want?
What are you looking to get from it?
What are you willing to do for it?
Even more powerful, what are you not willing to do for it?
What expenses are you willing to give up for this?
What expenses are you not willing to give up for it?
Can this need be fulfilled in an inexpensive way?
Honesty is required here. Is it satisfy a societal or personal need?
It's okay to feel hesitant about a planned purchase because the cost will go beyond the price tag. Most possessions you bring home will need maintenance to fulfill their expected life spans.
The two cliches "Puppies are not just for Christmas" and "The two happiest days of a boat owner's life is the day they buy it and the day they sell it" exist because often they are impulsive purchases rather than considered decisions. Try to stretch your enjoyment of a purchase past the first couple of weeks by mulling these seven questions over first.
If the answer is still, YES! It's time to ask yourself a few more questions.
Have you checked reviews to find the one which best fits your needs?
Which bells and whistles do you need, and which don't you?
Would a used item do? Who doesn't love a good find on Facebook marketplace?
When is the typical sales period? (Hello, November!)
Answering these small questions is key to getting comfortable with a big purchase will make you more financially capable. This isn't a small item. Remember to budget in Time and Maintenance for your new purchase, and you deserve to have the d*mn thing.
