by Tricia
Those who have been around for a while know that I have been wanting to buy a LCD TV. Thankfully, that urge has subsided and I’m happy with the old TV we have. But, I have made somewhat of a frivalous purchase lately.
It started in July, when I noticed those machines that shave ice. I LOOOOVE shaved ice. They were positioned at the end of the aisle at the local department store and every time we went there I would pass them by. Almost every time I passed by I would pick it up, look at it and set it back down.
Then, it happened. They went on clearance. Instead of a $26 dollar sticker price, that ice shaver was now $6. I’m not sure if I even thought about it before it was placed in my cart. I think the shopping instinct to grab it so no one else can grab it came over me and the next thing I knew it was in my cart.
I walked around the rest of the store, finishing our other shopping and kept looking at my find.
Wait, I need flavoring…I need flavoring to put on my shaved ice!
So I headed back and bought a package of three flavors for $7. Unfortunately, that wasn’t on clearance as well. It was a little pricey for me, but we needed flavoring.
I still thought about my purchase all the way to the checkout counter. In the end, I carried it into the house and almost immediately brought out the ice cubes and made me and my son a tasty treat.
Did I have to buy it? No, not at all. We could live without an ice shaver. But I believe the key for us is to wait for any purchases that could be an impulse purchase because of the novelty factor. Take the time to really think about how much you would use the product. Some say give at least 30 days to think it over, but I like to give it around 90. Then you may have waited long enough for it to go on clearance 😉
It’s funny because I’ve never heard of the 90 day rule, but it makes perfect sense. There’s been many times where I bought something on impulse, but there’s also been times that I thought about making the purchase for a couple of weeks. In the latter case, I usually find that I end up not making the purchase because I realize that I don’t NEED it. Good article.
David, well…I guess the 90-day rule is sort of a thing I do. I just haven’t blogged about it to explain it (doh!). I better do that today 🙂
I’ve heard of the 30 day rule and I’ve made use of it in the past. Good for you for waiting the 90 days for your purchase. Its a good practice especially if you’re trying to save money.
That’s fantastic! If you still wanted it after 90-days, then you definately should have bought it. I dont usually care after 2 weeks, so that’s a great way to do things.
Indeed, I’m going to start using some version of a 30, 60, or 90 day rule.
If the LCD TV urge comes back and stays longer than 90 days, I’d highly recommend Costco. The prices are cheaper than I’ve found other places (even if you have to buy membership) and instead of selling you an extended warranty they’ll pretty much take back anything in any condition. My TV suffered from a factory defect (the person in front of me was returning the same TV for the same reason) about a year after purchase. They gave me back the cash I paid.
Lol…you deserve it! After wanting something for so long, it’s okay to give it a shot.
My son and I love the flavorings that you can buy, but don’t forget the other ones. Kool-aid, soda (caffeine free for you 🙂 ) and regular juices. There are many more to try.
We just had the Tropical Peach Breeze this afternoon. He added a little bit of soda and I had mine plain.
Don’t even tempt me about the LCD Lazy Man and Money LOL! Unfortunately, there are no Costcos near me. I’d have to go to Wally World or Sears (which I will not go to again – that’s a story for another day).
Mandi, you are a genious! I didn’t even think of using kool-aid to flavor the ice!!! I’m so excited now! 🙂
AFTER 73 DAYS(IS THAT CLOSE ENOUGH), THE DINING ROOM SET THAT MY HUSBAND AND I SAW AT PIER ONE WENT TO 50% OFF FOR THE FLOOR MODEL. BY OPENING UP A CREDIT LINE WITH THEM, I WAS ABLE TO BUY THE TABLE AND TWO CHAIRS FOR THE SAME ORIGINAL FULL PRICE OF THE TABLE ONLY. THE ONLY ISSUE IS THAT THIS TOTAL PRICE IS $500.00, BUT I WAS ABLE TO FINANCE UNTIL MARCH OF 2007 WITH NO INTEREST. BOY, ISN’T THIS DEFEATING THE CREDIT CARD DEBT PAYOFF. WE HAVE BEEN EATING ON A POKER TABLE IN THE SUNROOM THOUGH, WHICH IS NOT HEATED AND IS NOW GETTING QUITE COLD. THIS IS MY PROBLEM WITH GETTING MY CREDIT CARD DEBT PAID OFF. I FIND A DEAL THAT I FEEL WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PASS BY, BUT WE CAN HARDLY AFFORD TO KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT DEBT THAT WE HAVE. EVEN THOUGH WE DO NEED A TABLE TO EAT ON. WHAT STORES DO YOU SHOP AT THAT YOU FIND SUCH AWESOME DEALS, LIKE ON THE SILVERWARE?
KIM – that was a problem of mine, too (with buying things cause they are such a good price)! But I have done a few things to help me with that (I’ll write about that soon). As for the silverware deal, that was at Walmart 😉
Hi Trisia, I do this with my daughter (as well as myself). I don’t usually wait 90 days but when she asks for something either from the store or off the tv I wait 2 or 3 weeks to see how often I hear about it. Usually she never mentions it again. If I hear about it every day for 2 weeks then I’m more incline to start thinking about getting it. Not only does this stop the impulse buying but it gets her to think about the things that she really wants and to not always have to have instant gratification.
Donna