Purchase anxiety?

[maple22]

Does anyone else feel extremely uncomfortable after making a purchase, especially online? I’m probably going to be buying a very expensive laptop in the next couple of days, and considering my past nervousness regarding much smaller purchases, it won’t be easy. For some reason, I have a lot more peace of mind when I buy something in person (of course, the model I want is online-only and will take nearly a month to arrive).

 

[xTech]

I relate to you so much here, purchase anxiety can be good in some ways, but also super annoying when trying to buy something you know you really want. It took me about a year and a half to finally purchase a gaming laptop, and I had to wait for the amazon black friday sale to allow myself to even do it. I had more than enough money to get it, and knew it was going to be a worthwhile purchase, but my brain just goes completely haywire at the though of spending more than £100 on anything, let alone over £1000.

In terms of advice for you though, i'd just say check the specs out in depth, and make sure the computer's balanced (e.g. make sure the computer doesn't just have say an amazing cpu and really bad graphics card). It never hurts to show the laptop you're buying to any of your other friends who have purchased a gaming laptop before as well, as my friend personally really helped me to pick out a good one, and honestly just knew a lot more about what to look for than me.

 

[Corrie]

Always. I never make a purchase where I don't feel guilty. It sucks but at the same time, has allowed me to easily save money.

 

[BungoTheElf]

For me it's less of the feeling after buying and more of the feeling WHILE I'm making the purchase LOL

 

[ForgottenT]

I got a weird feeling before I make a big purchase, but as soon as the money have been taken from my card it's over.

 

[applesauc3]

I know...I take SO long to make absolutely any purchase because I am constantly trying to remind myself of reasons why I don’t need the thing or why I could be better off without the thing, even though sometimes it doesn’t hurt to buy something

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

YES!! And it's weird because I prefer ordering things online most of the time.

 

[Xara]

i’m sort of the same way. i use shopping as a coping mechanism, tbh, but often experience shop anxiety as i’m very rarely ever 100% certain about buying stuff, which is both a blessing and a curse. it helps to save money if i’m not so willing to spend money on meaningless things but it plants doubt in my mind about things that i know for certain that i want. and i’m definitely with you about preferring to buy things in person - i’m always weary about ordering stuff online, especially expensive stuff, as i’m always worried about stuff getting lost in the mail or even getting delivered to the wrong address or something >_<

 

[Bugs]

I bought a £600 bus pass online the other day which links with an app on your phone and it didn't work, I had to call up the bus company to get them to manually send it to me since apparently the automatic system doesn't work sometimes.

Thankfully, they were really helpful and did it while I was on the phone, I got my bus pass

I think most reputable companies will help you or give you your money back if something goes wrong, I've had a lot of problems buying stuff over eBay and online over the years but it's always been sorted out so I've not really got that purchase anxiety anymore

 

[seularin]

yeah its like “but what if this money could go to smth better” and i end up not purchasing lmao, i overthink too much

 

[Pupperina]

I have second thoughts while I’m buying things online. Anything over $30 or requires shipping fees makes me question if the purchase is worth it. As a result I rarely purchase things online.
There was one time I really wanted clothes from a site. I don’t usually shop at their stores because I don’t find anything I like. I was expecting my order to be shipped out within a few days and delivered in a week or so, since that’s what I usually experience with other clothing sites. However, my order took nearly a month to arrive and it wasn’t reassuring to read comments online of others similar experience.

 

[Misha]

Oh, god, do I have that. Especially with things like expensive electronica! I always feel so guilty if I don't end up with the best item for my budget, and if it breaks quickly I also feel very guilty and as if it's my own fault for picking the wrong thing. With a laptop at least I don't have the anxiety about buying something unnecessary as much as I have that with other things, because at least I know I need one.

I'm gonna watch this thread to see if people have tips for dealing with it.

 

[Kattea]

What I find helps my purchase anxiety is taking the time to research. I save money this way too, since it stops alot of impulse buying.

 

[*The Oakboro Mayor*]

I got purchase anxiety when I’m trying to make the decision to buy the item. There’s always a voice in my head saying “what if you don’t use it? What if you just bought it on impulse and you let it sit around the house?” I get purchase anxiety when I’m trying to make the decision to buy the item. There’s always a voice in my head saying “what if you don’t use it? What if you just bought it on impulse and you let it sit around the house?” Sometimes I just died right in and buy the item, but I rarely feel comfortable with buying big items online. Because of this, I try and research an item thoroughly before I make any decisions so I don’t end up purchasing something that’s a rip off or cheaply made. Better safe than sorry!

 

[DarkDesertFox]

I get a different kind of purchase anxiety. It's more of a "will this still be here in a week" kind of a thing. I like to buy collectibles time to time and one of my favorite series to collect from is Sonic the Hedgehog. If you don't jump on something, it might skyrocket in price in the near future and it makes it hard to wait. Same thing for other collectibles from an older series where they're not made anymore. I understand your nervousness. When it comes to electronics, I always buy them from a store. Easy to return if something is wrong and you know more about the product if you got to test it in the store. Hopefully everything works out for you though! I bought my Xbox One online from GameStop and it has served me well all these years so that's one good experience I had buying a pricier electronic item online.

 

[Shinjukuwu]

Oh yes. Like sometimes I'll buy something that I don't really need, and I'll feel a bit bad about it. But at the same time it made me feel good to get it. So a bit of both really.

 

[Mary]

I definitely do this - even if I’ve saved up money for something, can afford it, and absolutely have no reason to feel bad about buying it, I still do. I just feel guilty spending money in general, even though overspending isn’t usually an issue for me. It kind of sucks sometimes because it can make it harder to enjoy stuff - I’m always wondering if I’m using it enough to justify the money spent.

 

[Mikaiah]

I do this. Even if I have a strict budget category literally for this one item, I still have purchase anxiety.
Usually I don't care for stuff under like $50, but once it starts hitting 75 or higher, I have this entire like WEEKS LONG debate on whether or not I actually want it, if I need it, blah blah blah.

All this happens usually even AFTER I budgeted for it in YNAB lol.

 

[Mairmalade]

Depends on what/where I'm buying.

I used to be so nervous when buying figures online (wasn't working full-time) but now if I see a release of a character I really like from a shop/maker I'm familiar with I preorder instantly with no regrets or anxiety. Mind you, such releases don't happen often and I have a budget for them.

But a $5-7 sandwich? Thinking about that and how I shouldn't have bought it for days.

 

[epona]

i literally have the opposite
i have no impulse control or guilt when it comes to shopping, like i will drop hundreds and hundreds on a whim

when i was bartending i used to make a LOT of money in tips and if i had a bad day at work i'd literally just go into gucci and drop hundreds (in cash) on a pair of sunglasses just to make myself feel better

it's really bad lol