Why Did I Buy This??

You guys —

why did I buy these??

Now before you wonder why in the world you’re following this girl

and start to click on unsubscribe,

let me explain…

The other day I was in HomeGoods and I saw these

and I thought they would look really good on my living room shelves.

And then I also thought ‘oh, I could make those! All I need are some vases that I could paint to look just like them’.

So I went to Goodwill and I saw these

and I snatched them off the shelf so fast

before anyone else could get them

like they were the Holy Grail of vases…

And once I got home I realized —

all the paint in the world

in the hands of the most talented person in the world

is not going to make THOSE vases look anything like the HomeGoods vases!

And I paid $7 a piece for them!

(That’s actually a lot of money for thrift store vases)

Now, $14 is not going to break the bank

but it would buy lunch for Mr. Redoux and me at In-n-Out!

And the worst part is

not only am I out $14, but now I have to figure out how to get rid of 2 vases that look like they belong in the Brady Bunch living room.

So why did I buy them???

Well, here are some reasons why I sometimes buy stuff (not just vases) that I don’t love and end up with buyer’s remorse:

1. I’M IMPATIENT

I want it now. I don’t want to take the time and energy to find exactly the right thing. I just grab the first thing I come across without thinking it through.

2. IT’S CHEAP/ON SALE

I love a bargain! The Goodwill vases were cheap compared to the cute ones at HomeGoods.

3. I NEED TO FILL A SPACE

I have empty shelves that need something… anything…

4. I WAS INFLUENCED

I buy things because I watch all these super-talented women on Instagram who turn a milk crate and a bungee cord into a sofa sectional in a half an hour and I get ‘inspired’.

And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laid in bed at 11:30 PM and bought makeup or hair volumizing clips or whitening toothpaste or a shacket because someone I follow was promoting it…

5. FEAR OF MISSING OUT

You know when you’re in Goodwill (or Costco!) and you’re thinking — if I don’t get it now, it’ll be gone by tomorrow and I will have missed out??

6. I TRIED A TREND

Just the other day I bought some trendy joggers online. When they came, I put them on with a half-tucked white tee and my white leather sneakers. I didn’t think they were horrible but I didn’t necessarily love them. Then Mr. Redoux said they looked like ‘grandma pants’. So I washed them thinking they would shrink and not be so baggy. It didn’t make much difference. (At least they’re comfortable…)

7. I COULDN’T RETURN IT

Case in point — Brady Bunch vases. Goodwill is not Nordstrom. They don’t take returns. And there’s no returning joggers that have been through the wash…

So how do you keep from getting buyer’s remorse?

How do you make sure you only end up buying stuff you really love??

Here are a few things to try:

1. BE PATIENT

I heard someone say that if you slow down and make yourself wait a period of time (a day, 3 days, a week) to consider whether or not to buy something, most of the time you’ll have actually forgotten all about it by the end of the waiting period!

2. BEING CHEAP/ON SALE IS NOT THE MAIN REASON TO BUY IT

So do you love the vase, shoes, chair, coat, you name it, or are you loving the feeling of getting something on the cheap? If you really love it, then congratulations — you got a bargain! Otherwise, ask yourself — would you pay full price for it? If the answer is no, then you probably don’t love it.

3. BE OK WITH EMPTY SPACES

Right now my house is in the middle of a remodel and everything is taking longer than I think it should. I want to buy furniture, rugs and accessories (everything!) right now so it’ll give me the sense that it’s finished. But if I’m patient and take my time choosing, I won’t regret purchasing things just to fill the room.

4. DON’T BE INFLUENCED

Personal testimonies are some of the most successful marketing tactics there are. While that person you’re following may actually love the product they’re promoting, remember they’re called ‘influencers’ for a reason — it’s their job to influence you and entice you to buy.

5. MOST PURCHASES AREN’T ‘URGENT’

Don’t let fear of missing out on an item be the reason you buy it. Chances are, it’ll still be there if you go back to buy it within a week or two. If it’s not, then it wasn’t meant to be. (If it’s literally the last one on the shelf, and you know for sure you can return it — go ahead and buy it. Take it home and live with it for a little while to decide if you love it. Then take it back if you don’t.)

6. KNOW YOUR STYLE

Trends will come and go. Knowing your signature style in your fashion and decor will help you to always make purchases that you’re sure to love. It’s okay to try a trend or two but be sure you can return it if you don’t absolutely love it. Which brings us to…

7. CAREFULLY READ RETURN POLICIES BEFORE YOU BUY

Make sure you can return whatever you buy if you don’t want to keep it. Also make sure you can return it for a refund — many stores will accept returns but only for store credit. This is especially important if you’re buying online! Also — will you have to pay return shipping?

A couple of years ago, I bought 3 pairs of sneakers online from a company I had never purchased from before. They were $25 a pair. When they came, they were super cheap looking and didn’t fit. It wasn’t until then that I looked at the company’s return policy. I emailed the company and told them I wanted to return the sneakers. They tried offering me a discount to keep them, but I wanted a refund. After quite a bit of back and forth, they finally emailed me a return address to send them to in China. Have you ever tried to mail something to China??? I packaged them up and typed up a label with the address they had given me. Then I paid $35 to send them back to China! At the very most, I was only going to come out with $40 but I figured that was better than Dollar Store-looking shoes that don’t fit. I kept watching my credit card bill for a credit from this company but I never got one. Two and a half months later, the shoes showed up in my mailbox — returned, ‘address unknown’. I ended up donating them to a local charity. That was a $110 worth of buyer’s remorse I have never forgotten.

Have you ever bought something you don’t love??

I hope these tips are helpful

to keep us all

from buying stuff we don’t love!

PS Anybody need some really great Brady Bunch vases?!?…

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