Eight questions to ask first
- Is it a need or a want? A need protects your health, safety, work or basic living. A want is nice to have. Many things are a bit of both, so be honest about which part is driving you. Sorting purchases into need vs want is the quickest first filter.
- Do I really need this, or do I already own something that does the job?
- Would I still want it in 48 hours? If you are unsure, use the 48-hour rule.
- What does it cost in hours of work? Divide your monthly income by about 160 working hours to get an hourly figure, then divide the price by it. For example, 3,000 a month is about 18.75 an hour, so a 150 purchase is about 8 hours of work.
- Can I pay without debt and without touching essentials?
- How often will I use it? Dividing the price by the number of times you expect to use it gives a rough cost per use. Try the cost per use calculator.
- Am I buying because of a mood, a sale or a feed? A strong feeling is a good reason to wait.
- What else could this money do? Compare it with a goal you care about.
Is this purchase worth it?
Worth is personal, but a few checks make it less of a guess. Think about the cost per use, the hours of work it takes, and whether you would still pay the full price if there were no sale. If the item solves a real problem or you will use it often, the cost may be easy to justify. If the main benefit is the feeling of buying it, a short wait will usually make that clear.
A simple way to decide
- Buy when it is a real need, you can afford it, and nothing you own already does the job.
- Wait when you are unsure, excited or stressed. Give it 48 hours.
- Skip when the main reason is a mood, a sale label or a social feed.
What CartFreeze does and does not do
CartFreeze is not a purchase decision calculator and will not tell you what to buy. It gives you the pause, shows the price in hours of work when you enter your income, and records your own choice. The decision stays with you. For more ideas, see how to stop impulse buying.