7 Questions to Ask Before Any Purchase Over $100

Part 2 of 4 · 2 minute read

3. What is the cost per use?

Divide the price by the number of times you will honestly use it in the next year. A $300 coat you wear 150 days costs $2 a day. A $300 gadget you use five times costs $60 a go. The sticker price lies about value; cost per use tells the truth, and it often flips which of two options is the "expensive" one.

Do this today: be honest about the number of uses. Use the last similar thing you bought as your guide, not your intention this time.

4. Can I wait 48 hours?

If a deal cannot survive two days, it was never about the thing. It was about the feeling. Almost everything goes on sale again, and the two-day pause lets the excitement fade so the decision is made by the version of you that has to pay for it, not the version standing in the shop.

Do this today: add the item to a "maybe" list with the date. Look at the list again in 48 hours. Most items quietly fall off it, and the ones that survive are usually worth buying.