Becoming a smart consumer begins with making sound financial decisions before you buy. To achieve this, decide on what to buy before getting to the market (both online or offline); have a plan, know what, when, and how to buy. In a clear-cut sense, smart buying will help you avoid spending your money frivolously or purchasing items that may make you feel a buyer’s remorse later.
This article offers tested and trustworthy guides to smart buying
Prioritize your needs
As varied as consumer goods are so also are the appetites of buyers. To avoid buying things you may later discover you have no need for, draw up a priority list.
Plan your purchase
Planning is critical to achieving wise consumer spending. You cannot have all you need in a fell swoop, therefore set out a plan for your purchase.
Have a budget
Having a budget is part of financial discipline. Draft a budget for what you need to buy, stick to it regardless and avoid unnecessary or unplanned expenses.
Do your homework
Before buying a consumer good, research about it. This will give you gain insights into its usage, price, effectiveness, and to know whether similar brands produce the same product and at which price. There is no point buying a product that a similar brand offers equal or better effectiveness and even at a lower price. Moreover, it is important to check product reviews for opinions of consumers who have already walked the path. Doing this will help a consumer make a safe decision before a purchase.
Buy products with long shelf life
Buying a product that has a long shelf life, as against its disposable or cheaper variant, saves you some money. This means you do not have to replace the product within short period of purchase, thereby saving you money.
Consider buying in bulk
Buying in bulk, as against buying in ones, saves you money especially during inflation and attendant rising prices.
Best time to buy
For some particular types of products, knowing when to buy or buy more of it is important. Such times as during clearance, sales promotions etc allows you to save some money off your purchases.
