14 Questions to Ask Before Making a Major Purchase

Here are 14 questions to ask yourself before making any major purchase. I am thinking of printing this list up and laminating it so I can carry it with me. I think if I look at this each time I go to Woot I might save myself some money.

1. Do I need it?
2. How many do I already have?
3. How much will I use it?
4. How long will it last?
5. Could I borrow it from a friend or family member?
6. Can I do without it?
7. Am I able to clean, lubricate and/or maintain it myself?
8. Am I willing to?
9. Will I be able to repair it?
10. Have I researched it to get the best quality for the best price?
11. How will I dispose of it when I'm done using it?
12. Are the resources that went into it renewable or nonrenewable?
13. Is it made of recycled materials, and is it recyclable?
14. Is there anything that I already own that I could substitute for it?

I though I would apply this principle to a purchase I made a while ago, an Ultra Flip Video Camera. Here are my answers....

1. Do I need it? No, but I liked the idea of a camera I could take videos with and immediately download them using the USB.
2. How many do I already have? I had a video camera but there always seemed to be issues with it, batteries low, couldnt find the video cassettes, etc.
3. How much will I use it? I used it quite a bit when I first got it. That usage has gone from 2-3 times a week to 2-3 times a month now.
4. How long will it last? It should last a while with only changing of the batteries.
5. Could I borrow it from a friend or family member? At the time, I believe only one person I knew owned one. Now, everyone in the office has one.
6. Can I do without it? Yes, I am sure I could of but would have missed recording some stuff with my kids.
7. Am I able to clean, lubricate and/or maintain it myself? Its easy to use and maintain, takes two AA batteries.
8. Am I willing to? Yes, I am willing to change out the batteries.
9. Will I be able to repair it? Nope, that is beyond my knowledge.
10. Have I researched it to get the best quality for the best price? I looked up reviews of the product and felt it was a good buy for the type of product I was looking for.
11. How will I dispose of it when I'm done using it? N/A at this time.
12. Are the resources that went into it renewable or nonrenewable? I am not using rechargable batteries but would probably be best.
13. Is it made of recycled materials, and is it recyclable? Not made of recycled material.
14. Is there anything that I already own that I could substitute for it? See number 2.


Can you think of any other questions to ask yourself before making a purchase?

(Thanks to My Open Wallet for the 14 Questions post)