It’s that time of year! That time when the <cough> Big Sales come along with all sorts of great prices and options. That time when gift giving might (or might not) be a part of your Winter Holiday planning. That time when you find yourself dreaming about all sorts of goodies you might want to add to your Wish List.

Okay, sure, for many folks this describes pretty much every day of the year.

Personally, I find myself browsing a lot of Pinterest boards, vlogs, and ads that come my way and thinking ‘ Oooooh, that looks like fun!’ My Amazon view history can often be overwhelming at times.

Granted, some of those items are ones I’ve searched for myself. I occasionally get a wild idea that I might ‘want’ or ‘need’ to find [ fill in blank ] and am looking to see what might be available and fit the criteria I need. Thanks to view history, I can return to that search many times.

The thing is, more often than not I discover that I really am not all that interested in whatever that item is and the ‘need’ isn’t as pronounced now than it was at the time I started looking. Hmmm

I love to window shop (thanks, Mom!) because it often has a powerful effect on my wallet (as in: I don’t spend a penny) and I get the opportunity to really think about what I have found.

Once I have devoted some time for the research, I give myself time to decide if at the end of a few days I still really want the item. I ask myself some questions before I jump to buy.

My core questions

• Do I really need it?
• Is the price justifiable?
• Do I have room for it?
• Do I already have something that I can use instead?
• Will I really use it?

Luckily, I have limited space in my home. Yeah, I know most folks would not think that a good thing. In my case I am limited by what I can add to my home without removing something else.

What I have discovered is that most of those potential purchases have been replaced by better options or dropped because I really didn’t find a true need for them after all.

As we slide into Holiday Season, when I am asked what I would like as a gift, I have a better idea of what to answer. Hint: Often it is not something I would use like a pair of socks. 😀

Now all of this is not to say I don’t make quick purchases when I find something that just tickles my fancy. I do. I just might not do it nearly as often as I once might have.

Best of all, there is the Thrill of the Hunt. Because there’s not much more enjoyable than finding just the right whatsit. Right?