7 Questions to Ask Before Any Purchase Over $100

Part 4 of 4 · 2 minute read

7. What else could this money do?

Every purchase is a trade. The $400 could be a month of progress on your emergency fund, an extra debt payment that saves you $60 in interest, or the thing itself. None of these is wrong. The mistake is not choosing, and letting the purchase happen by default because it was the option in front of you.

Do this today: name one alternative use for the money. If the purchase still wins, buy it without guilt. You decided. You did not drift.

How to use the list without making shopping miserable

You will not ask all seven questions every time, and you should not try. Pick any three before a purchase over $100. That alone turns most impulse buys into either a clear yes or a quiet no, and both are better than a maybe you pay for later.

The questions get faster with practice. After a month, most people find they ask them automatically in the shop, in about ten seconds, and that the things they do buy feel better because they chose them on purpose.

Next: the biggest recurring purchases are your monthly bills, and most of them are negotiable. Here is how to cut one with a single phone call.