Anyone else spend too long looking into purchases?
Discussion
Puzzles said:
It actually annoys me how much time I waste researching a purchase before I make it. Often it gets to a point where I’m so annoyed about it I make the purchase just so I can stop looking into it.
It also means there are no nice surprises either.
Am I the only one?
I'm awful for it and never trust me with a menu. Most have done a complete order while I'm still looking at the starters. It also means there are no nice surprises either.
Am I the only one?
Back in November 2013, I spent most of 2012 and 2013 researching Canon SLR cameras -being a Canon man. In the end I got a Nikon equivalent on impulse because it popped up in the November Black Friday sales. 
Dug it out last week and charged it. I checked the shutter meter - 30 shots in total since 2013. What a d
head. 
Dug it out last week and charged it. I checked the shutter meter - 30 shots in total since 2013. What a d
head. I go completely overboard with research sometimes.
Engagement ring was the most thorough recently, but understandable given the depths of diamond shopping and the value.
Cars. Well, we're all here. And surely we've all started a 'what car' thread?
BBQ. I spent longer deciding which one to buy than I've spent cooking on it.
Got to say, I enjoy the research so much that sometimes the purchase is an anti-climax.
Engagement ring was the most thorough recently, but understandable given the depths of diamond shopping and the value.
Cars. Well, we're all here. And surely we've all started a 'what car' thread?
BBQ. I spent longer deciding which one to buy than I've spent cooking on it.
Got to say, I enjoy the research so much that sometimes the purchase is an anti-climax.
iacabu said:
I enjoy the research so much that sometimes the purchase is an anti-climax.
Absolutely this, particularly tech but it could be anything - trainers, winter jacket, glasses frames, whatever. I have to read all the reviews, compare all the different brands, and get a decent deal. It arrives, I'm chuffed for 10 minutes, then move on to the next thing.
Mr Spock summed it up perfectly:
"After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting.
It is not logical, but is often true."
pocketspring said:
I'm awful for it and never trust me with a menu. Most have done a complete order while I'm still looking at the starters.
I'm the same, but I've found a trick, don't look at the menu until the waiter is taking orders. Forces a quick decision, so far hasn't really failed me, been doing it for a couple of years.My wife takes her time deciding what to spend, the ins and outs of this or that, before finally plumping for [often] the cheapest, having to then buy again within 6 months as the quality was poor.
I buy the decent item that has good reviews after checking out say 2 or 3 over the course of a minute / day [depending on what it is], and invariably [not all the time, but mostly] it lasts a fair few years - perfect example is my Caterpillar walking boots, bought for £100 over 30 years ago and still going strong
I impulse buy, especially the stuff I nerd about, and if I see something nerdy of interest I haven't seen before, it must be rare, so buy it....
I buy the decent item that has good reviews after checking out say 2 or 3 over the course of a minute / day [depending on what it is], and invariably [not all the time, but mostly] it lasts a fair few years - perfect example is my Caterpillar walking boots, bought for £100 over 30 years ago and still going strong
I impulse buy, especially the stuff I nerd about, and if I see something nerdy of interest I haven't seen before, it must be rare, so buy it....
I invariably end up making a poor decision when I'm impulsive so will end up researching the purchase to death.
Bought a Rolex on Impulse, sold within 6 months
Numerous cars, sold pretty quickly
Clothing - worn once
I'm buying some new golf clubs next week, demo'd them twice, watched 00's of videos (including a Robot testing them ffs), built and had them in my virtual 'basket' a couple of times - but if the purchase is right, I'll have them for a few years (in theory).
Bought a Rolex on Impulse, sold within 6 months
Numerous cars, sold pretty quickly
Clothing - worn once
I'm buying some new golf clubs next week, demo'd them twice, watched 00's of videos (including a Robot testing them ffs), built and had them in my virtual 'basket' a couple of times - but if the purchase is right, I'll have them for a few years (in theory).
As someone who suffers from extreme buyers remorse a lot of the time I find it it essential now. Every time I have got excited about something and bought it on a whim (cars included) I have regretted it every time.
Now once I get excited about something I will do my research and more often than not I will come to the conclusion that I don't really want it, and it I did buy it, it would just get unused very quickly.
The most recent thing I have purchased is a gaming laptop, and I ended up spending about three months thinking about it before I actually purchased it. However, I have not regretted the purchase for one second, and I have not thought "Oh I wish I got that one instead"
Even if I am buying something cheap that I need, I will spend an hour or two on the internet to make sure I am buying it from the cheapest place possible.
Now once I get excited about something I will do my research and more often than not I will come to the conclusion that I don't really want it, and it I did buy it, it would just get unused very quickly.
The most recent thing I have purchased is a gaming laptop, and I ended up spending about three months thinking about it before I actually purchased it. However, I have not regretted the purchase for one second, and I have not thought "Oh I wish I got that one instead"
Even if I am buying something cheap that I need, I will spend an hour or two on the internet to make sure I am buying it from the cheapest place possible.
Frequently.
It's odd as sometimes I'll almost obsess over doing homework on something that costs a tenner whilst doing much less on something far more expensive.
But it's also saved me from buying a few things that I was really really sure I wanted at the time but once I'd spent a few days looking into them I found I perhaps didn't want them as much as I thought.
It's odd as sometimes I'll almost obsess over doing homework on something that costs a tenner whilst doing much less on something far more expensive.
But it's also saved me from buying a few things that I was really really sure I wanted at the time but once I'd spent a few days looking into them I found I perhaps didn't want them as much as I thought.
pocketspring said:
I'm awful for it and never trust me with a menu. Most have done a complete order while I'm still looking at the starters.
You are my wife AICMFP 
Anyway, I haven't got time to read all this thread, I need to research which teaspoons to buy for Christmas. Any recommendations?
Yes.
Current dilemma is the CH system.
Researching all different types of TRVs, Radiator types, plumbing, heat losses. That's even before looking at boiler, or daresay location of boiler.
In the process of that I'm now embroiled with garage insulation, draught exclusion, fire regs and potentially pulling down the garage ceiling and reboarding it with a double skin of fire rated plasterboard.
Current dilemma is the CH system.
Researching all different types of TRVs, Radiator types, plumbing, heat losses. That's even before looking at boiler, or daresay location of boiler.
In the process of that I'm now embroiled with garage insulation, draught exclusion, fire regs and potentially pulling down the garage ceiling and reboarding it with a double skin of fire rated plasterboard.
I go to many customers site to look at and troubleshoot stuff
Some places I’ve been going to for 10 years so know the guys well
There’s one place where there is a chap who literally spends all his time researching stuff to buy
Shuttle cocks was the last
Watch auto winder the time before
Road bike time before that
The others say he runs spreadsheets and all sorts, and spends more time on research than using the item
Apparently when he moves flats or has a clear out you can get some mental deals
I’ve genuinely only ever seen him working about 5% of the time I’ve been there
Some places I’ve been going to for 10 years so know the guys well
There’s one place where there is a chap who literally spends all his time researching stuff to buy
Shuttle cocks was the last
Watch auto winder the time before
Road bike time before that
The others say he runs spreadsheets and all sorts, and spends more time on research than using the item
Apparently when he moves flats or has a clear out you can get some mental deals
I’ve genuinely only ever seen him working about 5% of the time I’ve been there
dibblecorse said:
Probably not, I'm the other way round completely, decide I want something, decide on spec must haves and then buy one .... I don't really care what other peoples 'opinions' are .... I'm not buying it for them, so basic research, known issues, maintenance costs etc and thats it ...
This is me, ill decide (often in haste) and just buy it - for everything. Ive done it for cars, houses, holidays, flights, and everything small that I have. Drove the first and second wives nuts lolA friend/colleague though, he researches the far end of everything. He was looking at a new monitor for his home office, he researched it for nearly 18mths, and obviously in that time new models came out, price points changed etc. it drives me insane and I dread him mentioning that he's thinking of buying anything. He wants to change one of his cars (a now 7yr old 530D - and has done for at least 2 years) and goes to his local BMW and Mercedes garages on alternate weekends looking and test-driving. Sales must hate him. He will decide at some point and make the purchase but its excruciating in the meantime. His Mrs is a saint.
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