7 Questions To Ask Before You Buy (Especially During A Sale)

If you have a closet full of clothes that you’re not wearing, then you may need to think about your shopping habits. With so many choices online and in stores, it’s easy to be tempted by, well, everything. And then there are always those end-of-season sales that are so hard to resist! So how do you make choices you’ll continue to love for years to come? Here are 7 questions to ask before you buy fashion, home goods, or really anything. If you answer yes to most of them, then you have a winner!

1. Would I Buy This At Full Price?

One of the first questions I ask myself before I buy anything is: would I buy this at full price? When you see that tempting “additional 50% off sale price” sign, it’s easy to forget what you’re actually looking at and focus on the fact that you’re getting a bargain. I like to visualize that item in my closet or home. If I can picture it with other things I own, it’s usually a good choice.

2. Does It Fit?

Often, we compromise fit for the bargain, so one of the most important questions to ask before you buy something is whether it fits. You wouldn’t buy full-sized sheets for your queen-size bed. But sometimes we buy shoes that feel snug, hoping they’ll stretch out. Try it on, move around (sit down in jeans and pants to look for gaping), and notice how you feel when you take it/them off. If you feel like you just started breathing again, they weren’t just a snug style – they were too small for you.

3. Does It Match My Life And Style?

We also have to be realistic about whether something will fit into our lifestyle. Have pets? Then that white rug may not be the most practical purchase. Live in the country? Then, you may not need those Jimmy Choo pumps. Work from home? You probably don’t need yet another eye-shadow palette.

Also, ask yourself whether the item you’re buying fits the style that you are striving for. (If you don’t know your personal style yet, take a look at my post: How To Define Your Personal Style). I know that I want to move away from classic styles to more influencer styles, so I’ve been looking out for new brands and higher quality items. I used to be tempted by fast fashion brands, but these days, they just don’t appeal to me.

4. Is The Color Right?

Every season, you’ll see and hear about the fashion colors that are making headlines. This year, there is a lot of talk about tomato red, chocolate brown, eggplant, and electric blue. If dark and bright colors work for your skin tone, then these colors may be perfect for you. But if you tend to look better in soft, muted tones, no fashion headline or bargain price will change that!

If you’ve had a seasonal color analysis done, don’t forget those swatches. Store lighting can be deceiving. And without a reference, it’s often difficult to gauge whether a color is warm or cool, soft or bright.

5. Is It Already In My Closet?

The other day, when I was looking at some shoes on sale, the woman next to me yelled over to her daughter, “Do I already have these shoes?” I rolled my eyes (subtly, of course), and then I remembered the almost-identical pairs of black sandals I used to own. Oops. In my defense, I bought the second pair when we first moved into our house, and most of my clothes had been packed away for months. Still, the moral of the story is to know what you already own before you buy more!

I tend to buy a lot of black clothes and accessories, because they always seem to be on sale, don’t stain easily, and create a slimming look. But I love creating new looks and expanding my style, so I look for colors that I don’t already own. Or if black is the only choice (or on sale), I make sure the style is different enough for me to wear it during a different season, or with other pieces in my closet.

6. Can I Create 3 Different Looks With It?

Whenever I buy something new, I try to style it in at least three different ways. You can change this number to whatever you want, higher if you are a minimalist, and lower if you have the budget, space, and desire to own more stuff!

7. Does This Purchase Change Anything?

I’ll be the first to admit that I do shop for fun. But lately, I’m trying to take a more sustainable approach, so I try to think about whether something I’m buying will really make a difference. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary, but it has to add value. So I think about whether something is more comfortable than what I already own, whether it makes my day brighter, or whether it saves me time when I’m rushing out the door.

Here are those “questions to ask before you buy” again:

1. Do I want this?
2. Does it fit?
3. Does it match my life and style?
4. Is the color right?
5. Is it already in my closet?
6. Can I create 3 different looks with it?
7. Does this purchase change anything?

What do you ask before you buy something? Let me know in the comments below!

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