Setting up a new home rarely equals instant gratification. And all that cleaning, unpacking, and rearranging — often with no end in sight — can lead to one particularly hazardous form of retail therapy, the impulse buy. So how do you protect yourself against the first shiny new decor item that bats its eyes at you? Here are a few useful weapons...
In the past I fancied myself a pretty competent shopper when it came to home furnishings. However, one recent afternoon, after a particularly tiring week of home cleaning, furniture rearranging, and house guest prepping, I ventured out for a little break only to fall into the clutches of an unfortunate (and unreturnable!) impulse buy. They were drapes. Yes they were cool, but they happened to be way too expensive, exactly the wrong color, and totally unnecessary — we already have perfectly acceptable window coverings. Demoralized and several hundred dollars lighter, I vowed to amend my impulse buying ways. Thankfully, all it took was a good anti-vulnerability system.
• Step 1. Steal Sarah Rae from Apartment Therapy Chicago's idea of making a pocket-sized floor plan. 
Be sure to check out the full how-to, but basically it's a way of fitting your whole home — paint samples, room dimensions, layout, even fabric swatches, etc. — into your hand when you're out and about, ie most vulnerable. This will definitely save you the trouble of schlepping that oh so perfect sofa up three flights of stairs only to find that it won't fit through the door or harmonize with your beloved heirloom arm chair.
• Step 2. Make a Wish List and check it before buying anything! 
This no-brainer idea was the hardest one for me to put into practice, but it's probably the most important. After the drapery episode I realized that I could have bought half a sofa for the amount I spent on something I didn't need. Having a list of my top ten wish list decor items helps me realize what items I really want for our home and not just what happens to be new at Target at a moment of retail therapy weakness.
• Step 3. Take a picture of you and your dream item. 
Don't roll your eyes, this does have a practical point. Even if you know the dimensions of a room, visualizing the scale of a piece of furniture in it can be difficult. Sit in the dream chair, stand next to that perfect bookcase, lean again the antique mantel. Then have a friend or salesperson snap a picture, and study it. It's much easier to envision the piece in your room once you can envision its scale, and it's much easier to envision its scale when there is someone with familiar proportions—you! If you don't want to lug around a camera, picture quality isn't that important, just use your phone's camera.
What other tips do you have for avoiding impulse buys?
(Images: 1: The Sydney Morning Herald, 2: Sarah Rae Trover Apartment Therapy Chicago, 3: Esquire, 4: James Merrell)
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Comments (16)
Wait 6 months if it's something that will still be available then.
If you still want it, 6 months later, do it.
If you forgot, found something better/cheaper, etc, skip it.
This also helps protect against buying something because of a fad (Keep Calm, anyone? Thank goodness I waited on that one!)
I only buy returnable things.
And whenever possible I incorporate an image into a photoshop rendering of my space to see how it will look before I buy. This alone has saved me more than $2k in return freight charges.
Super! thanks for the advice AT!
list, list, list. and don't forget to always bring it. also, when in doubt, take a picture, leave and re-assess when you get home.
This is a really useful post. Thank you! I tend to make impulse purchases that I live to regret, and then get rid of on CL or freecycle. I'd rather not make the mistake in the first place, and I think this can help!
Not having lots of cash, and being vigilent about not racking up credit card fees, is a huge help! I always remember my parents saying that, looking back, they were so glad they didn't have money when they first got married (and credit cards weren't in wide use, in those days) because if they did, they would have bought a house-ful of Danish modern which they eventually would have hated. Instead, after decades, they wound up with stuff they really loved. It was worth it.
I say stay away from Ikea. I can't get in and out of that place without making ridiculous impulse purchases! Or, if you need to purchase furniture, stay away from the market hall at the very least!
I need this! Great ideas.
If it's feasible in your city at all - go shopping without a car. I cannot count the number of things I would have grabbed and brought home if I didn't have to stand in front of it thinking:
"Can I carry this to the train? Will they let me on with it?"
"Is it worth calling a taxi so I can get it home?" "Is it worth paying the delivery charge?" "Do I want to lug it around the rest of the day, or go home now?" And so on. I find this also makes dubious craigslist purchases easier to resist.
Good tips. I've found that having lists of things you need is handy when shopping for anything: groceries, clothing, books, etc. I keep a running series of lists in the back of a little notebook I keep with me.
Shop online: It's easier to track spending and there are no impulse buys.
Hmm... I am somewhat of a tightwad, so I don't have this problem so much. But when I DO make a purchase, I make sure it is returnable and leave the tags on for a few days.
Shopping online is good too - then you can get exactly what you want, compare prices, and buy a few days later after you think it over.
I usually wait overnight before buying expensive things, and I also incorporate the image of the item into a rendered image of my space.
The sad thing is, unless it´s something that clearly doesn´t fit, I tend to end up buying anyway. I´ve already donated/sold 3 sofas, a giant rug, a garden bench, a shelving system, a bed, two wardrobes, a refrigerator, a chair and more... all impulse buys from the last 3 years or so.
So, yeah...
Maybe I should read this post again a few times.
I don´t even know why I´m leaving this comment. I´m no role model.
My trick to prevent impulse buying is the same trick I use to prevent over-eating. It's an amazing secret.
All you have to do is remind yourself that this is not the last time you will have the chance to (a) eat slice of cake or (b) buy that sweet looking chair. Yes, you may never find the exact. same. chair. Or eat that exact. slice. of cake.
But you really don't need it. There will be plenty of cake. There will be plenty of chairs. You don't HAVE to eat this one. So unless you immediately know this is the right chair for you, don't buy it. Even if you decide you want it in a month, but it's no longer available....you will ultimately eventually find a better fit, a better price, etc.
I totally have the opposite problem. I find something I love and measure it and know it will fit perfectly, and then I chicken out, telling myself something isn't quite right with it. When I finally convince myself to buy it, it's sold out or unavailable and I have to buy something less perfect instead. Anyone have any cures for that?
cal, buy it and live with it for a few days! Leave the tags on and keep the receipt so you can return it if you decide you don't really want it after the few days are up.