The two types of impulse purchases (and how to make smarter purchasing decisions)

I recently sent an email to my subscribers confessing that I’d done exactly the thing I’ve previously said you should try not do, i.e., make impulse purchases.

But for those of you who may not (yet) be subscribers, I decided to share my thoughts here also in an effort to help you understand what I consider to be an important distinction between the types of impulse purchases so that you can make smarter, more thoughtful purchasing decisions.

So, here’s the story…

If you don’t already know this about me, I love secondhand shopping – the thrill of finding something in new or pristine condition for a fraction of its original price will never get old to me, especially if it’s a designer or luxury piece that I would likely never purchase at its original price.

However, this becomes a problem when I start purchasing things that I don’t really need simply because “they’re such a good price”! It’s fairly easy for me not to buy something new at its original price, but turn me loose in a thrift store and the temptation almost becomes too great!

This happened to me recently when I went thrifting with my mom, two of my sisters, and one of my nieces… I impulsively purchased several things that weren’t on my “to buy” list because they were such a great price that I felt it would be foolish not to buy them.

It’s at this point where the idea of “girl math” comes in – yes, I’m spending money, but in the long run I’m saving money because I’ve purchased this item at such a low, low price. A dangerous trap to fall into! But I digress…

As I was saying, I went thrifting, purchased several things I didn’t necessarily need, and had to laugh at myself for doing the very thing I’ve written an entire post about trying not to do.

While I completely stand behind what I’ve already written on the subject and no, it’s not a good idea for either your wardrobe or your bank account to make a habit of impulse purchases, I do believe there’s a difference between thoughtful impulse purchases and thoughtless impulse purchases. Not all impulse purchases are thoughtless, but probably every thoughtless purchase was an impulse purchase.

I might be splitting a hair but hear me out.

A thoughtless impulse purchase would be one where you’re not giving any thought to whether that item will work with what you already have or whether it’s something that makes sense for your style or your lifestyle. Basically, a purchase where you don’t take the time to consider whether it will be a positive contribution to your wardrobe.

On the other hand, what I mean by a thoughtful impulse purchase is simply this –  if you have a good understanding of your personal style preferences, you are realistic about your lifestyle and know the types of items that make sense for your lifestyle, you have a thorough understanding of what is already in your current wardrobe, and you know your wardrobe budget, then you can use all of that information to make a thoughtful, informed decision about a purchase, even if it happens to be an impulsive one.

In my case, I’ve been working on and refining my wardrobe for the last decade – I know what I like and don’t like, I know what works for me, what will make sense for my day-to-day life, the amount of money I can realistically afford to spend on my wardrobe, etc. – so even though I purchased items that weren’t on my “to buy” list, I knew I wasn’t just randomly purchasing things that would go unworn or unused.

I knew that the items I purchased would fit in perfectly with the rest of my wardrobe since almost every piece was a simple cut in a neutral color. I knew before I ever entered the first store what kind of pieces I would look for because I knew what kinds of styles I preferred and which ones to avoid. I knew almost every piece would work with multiple items that I already owned and that I wasn’t purchasing a duplicate of something already in my wardrobe.

So yes, prioritize the pieces that make the most sense for you, be selective about what and how much you choose to add to your wardrobe, be thoughtful even when making impulse purchases, but also remember that your wardrobe and your style shouldn’t be a rigid list of do’s and don’t’s about what to purchase and when.

Don’t think so hard about it that it stresses you out! Style should be fun!

For me, it was the fun of shopping with my family, the effort of (literally) digging through a huge pile of clothes and finding a pair of Lululemon shorts (in pristine condition for less than $1!) that my niece was absolutely thrilled about, the giggles and laughs over purchasing a couple of over-the-top Hawaiian print shirts that I plan to wear as beach/pool cover-ups. The Hawaiian shirts are probably the most impulsive of the impulse purchases, but something about them spoke to me that day and I simply had to have them!  

Sometimes those spontaneous, impulse pieces are the ones that have the best memories associated with them – who you were with, where you were, whatever the occasion was. Your wardrobe should be filled with pieces that truly mean something to you, pieces that hold memories, that make you smile when you wear them. Pieces that you get excited to wear!

And to me, that’s such an important part of what makes a great well-rounded wardrobe – it’s full of pieces that are uniquely and perfectly you!

Amber

Hi, I’m Amber

Creator and founder of A Well-Rounded Wardrobe. Whether you’re looking to start building a wardrobe from scratch or simply want to fine tune what you already have, you’re in the right place.

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