Everyone loves a good sale. They are a chance to get more for less… But a lot of the time, sales are not what they seem. Everywhere seems to always be on some kind of sale, or they’re never on sale. I’ve compiled a short list of things to consider before you give into the impulse to buy things on sale!
1. Is it actually on sale?
This is an important question. A lot of times, merchandise might have the price marked up right before the sale so the sale seems to be more than it actually is. Sometimes sales aren’t really sales.
2. Are you only buying it because it is on sale?
Sales are only helpful when it’s on something you actually need, want and/or like. If it’s something you otherwise would never have gotten, you’ll probably end up losing money. It being on sale does not mean you have to buy it, and this should not be mistaken with getting something for free. This is especially true of sales that encourage buying more than one of something. If you really want one shirt, buying one and getting the second half off sounds good, but you end up spending 150% of what you planned on spending. This is sometimes worth it, but not always.
3. How’s the quality and do you actually like it?
The last thing to consider is whether or not it’s something that will stay in your life. In terms of clothing, “Fast Fashion” is a term used to describe trends and styles that come into and out of style quickly. This causes lots of buying, lots of discarding of clothing and lower quality pieces. To avoid buying and throwing things away, it is best to make sure that you actually want something and that it will last a long time before buying it.
There are many other factors that might go into a decision about what to purchase (and where from), but these questions are a good start to being an informed shopper.