There is a tendency to want stuff – and even us gardeners aren’t immune.
We see a product. It claims to fix a problem; potentially, fixing a problem we didn’t even think we had. The infomercial (because it’s always an infomercial) seems to make a task or chore so much easier! Look at how the shiny people in the ad are smiling! This product – whatever it may be – will change your life.
There’s a reason these sales pitches are so successful on us; they tap into the basics of psychology to get a reaction. Of course, it doesn’t work out so well on the consumer side of things. Rather than a shed full of revolutionary products that have changed our lives for the better, we have a shed full of… so much stuff we don’t need.
So when you next feel the urge to buy, there’re a few vital questions to ask yourself.
“Can I afford it?”
This seems like a basic one because we consider price options and the money we have in our pockets all the time. Yet we appear to make the same mistakes.
If you have been daydreaming of installing a water feature in your garden, you will likely think it is an expensive undertaking. You might even put it off until the next year. Let’s say you think it’ll be $1,000 when you’re finished.
So you see a $50 miracle product advertised. You’ve got $50, and you fancy it, so why not?
Because your longed-for water feature project now costs $1,050. Save any money you’d have spent on impulse buys for something you really want.
“Is this a good way to buy it?”
Okay, so using the above example: the magical product is a lawn mower that you can use to plot your water feature. Perfect! You can indulge the urge to splurge and still end up with something that you genuinely wanted. What could be better?
Well, any other way of buying it really. You have to do your research. Buying on impulse means you don’t have time to review and research and it can mean you get a bad deal. Instead, take the time, search online, research on Lawn Mower Lane, read forums. If your miracle product is still the best deal then go for it – but be sure before you do it.
“Do I have the time to use it?”
So you bought the infomercial lawn mower against our advice, and you went for a hedge trimmer too as it was part of a deal. Okay, fine, your decision.
But what if you don’t have time to use the hedge trimmer? Or you don’t really have time to get cracking on your water feature project this year? Doing the basics – tending the vegetable garden, weeding – are not time-cheap chores. You’ve now got bulky equipment that you need storage space for, and you’re out of pocket.
Before you make any purchase, ensure you will be able to use it this season. If not, walk away and let cooler heads prevail.
