If you're like me, your wallet makes most of the decisions when it comes to purchasing pieces for your wardrobe. There are many factors that help me decide whether or not to buy certain clothes. Here are 10 questions you can ask yourself to help you make purchases you wont regret:
1- How much money is in your wallet/bank?
2- If enough, how much SHOULD you spend?
3- Are there currently any other items for sale you would want more?
4- How badly do you want it?
5- Is it a rare piece/ hard to find?
6- What condition is it in?
7- Can you see yourself wearing it often?
8- Does it match your wardrobe?
9- Do you suspect its a replica?
10- Does the seller have positive feedback?
Once youve asked yourself those questions, You should be able to safely make your decision, or as I like to think of it, you and your wallet have come to an agreement. Next I'll walk you through my thought process as it is a bit more in depth ~
I always check how much money I have before clicking buy, even if I checked earlier that day. Sometimes payments aren't processed until hours or even days later. Overdraw fees can be pretty rough, especially if you overdraw your account by a large amount.
I always get really excited when I find out I have enough in my bank. I want to click buy so badly but I know I need to think rationally. I do some intense math (and by intense I mean some adding and subtracting) in order to see how much I will have left once I pay the bills. I also take into consideration when I will be able to deposit more money into my bank. If I have enough to buy the item today, but not enough to pay the bills at the end of the month, I check to see if any more money will be deposited into my account before the bills are due. If there isn't going to be a deposit and I wont have enough to pay the bills in the end, I will not buy.
However if I do, this is where it gets really hard to stop myself from impulsively speeding to checkout without thinking it through.
It happens to everyone, that moment when you come across a listing of something you've wanted for so long, but you cant buy it because you just bought something yesterday.
I have a wish list of items that I am always searching for. Each month I try to save some "emergency" money (yes, finding something on my wish list is considered an emergency) just incase I do come across something I really want when Ive already spent my budget.
On that same note, never forget to check around for different prices. Its very possible (and actually has happened to me multiple times) to find a better price even when you're sure youve already checked around. Get this! I saved about $30 just by checking around before I committed to buying! After purchasing a top that was part of a set, I looked everywhere for the matching skirt, only to find one for quite a lot of money. I was ready to suck it up and spend $58 on it when I opened up a different app to find that someone at that exact moment listed the same skirt for $25.
Im just going to simply give you a scale of 1-10.
(1-5) I only buy items on this end of the scale if they're $15 (including shipping) or less.
It's rare to see prices this low but its so hard to say no, even if its something I think Ill only wear a handful of times. You never know, maybe you'll love it when you try it on? If you don't, just sell it.
(6-7) This is where I have a dilemma. Pieces in this range usually mean one of two things to me:
A : I've seen someone else wear this piece and I think its absolutely adorable on them but it would probably look terrible on me
OR
B: I want this really badly but its not in the color I want :(
(8-9) At this point, it all comes down to price. If it's a really good price (around $45 and under, shipping included) and Im pretty positive Im going to wear it a lot then its a deal. Things that fall in this category are usually pieces I am searching for but are not willing to pay retail price for.
(10) Admit it, when you find that 10 piece you get that feeling where your heart starts pounding and you're so nervous because you're afraid someone else is going to buy it before you have a time to log into your Paypal account and hit "place your order."
After you've figured out where the item falls on the scale, its time to move on to the next question.
I usually have to ask this question when the price is a bit out of my range. I make exceptions for things I know Ill never find again. I don't want to wait too long to make my decision just to find it sold out.
I have never come across an item in poor condition. Minor snags or unnoticeable stains aren't a big deal to me. If theres a major flaw, the price will usually reflect that it is damaged. If its something I can easily repair myself, Ill go for it if the price is right. If its something hard to find but can be fixed by a professional for a low cost, I'll usually purchase it, keeping in mind the cost for repair.
Most of the time that question translates into, "is it too over the top for every day wear?"
Yes, I own items that are "over the top", but I plan on wearing them at conventions only or at photoshoots. These items I probably wouldn't pay too much for.
*by over the top I mean too much lace, bows, or possibly even a very complex pattern/ wacky colors.
If its a staple piece, such as a blouse/ shoes, etc. and I can see myself wearing it with a lot of different pieces, my wallet usually gives me the go ahead.
I really REALLY need to take my own advice on this one. I have the tendency to skip over this step. every. single. time... When I open the package and hang it in my closet, I take a step back and realize.... I bought another floral patterned piece.
Liz Lisa (and most himekaji brands) are know for their unique chic patterns.
I just happen to have this eye for floral. With that being said I only own 3 plain blouses and a few plain sweaters. I'm sure you can see my dilemma here... nothing matches!
There is no way to know for sure that a piece is authentic. There are a few options to make sure you're getting what you pay for. Firstly, just ask the seller. No need to be shy, just politely ask where they bought it from. If photos of the name tag and wash tag aren't already included, ask for them. If the seller can't remember where they bought it from or bought it secondhand, but it has tags, Id say theres a 80% chance its authentic. If it looks like a replica, it probably is.
Im one of those people who arent offended by replicas. If the seller is not 100% sure and It doesnt cost too much, I usually take the risk. I will be OK if it arrives and it is an obvious replica. What I am NOT OK with is when a seller sells something as authentic when it is clearly not. Or, when you message them about it, and they end up saying "Im not sure if its authentic or not" even though its listed as authentic.
Its superduper annoying when your are falsely sold a replica. I have only experienced this twice.
*Ill make a post about my shopping experiences and tell the story there.
To me, this is the least important part of the decision making, therefore this is the last thing I think about before making the purchase.
I will forever use paypal. If the seller ends up not shipping the item, you can open a dispute and get your money back if they have no proof of postage.
With that said, rarely do you come across a bad seller and when you do its usually obvious by looking at their feedback unless they are a new seller.
If you made it to the end of this post, I hope I have encouraged you to shop with your intentions in mind!
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