How Students Can Avoid Buying Unnecessary Gadgets

College students and investors have something in common. When it comes to money, they spend carefully. But no student or investor is immune to spending money on a whim. We are talking about different scales, of course. But the idea is the same.

If a student likes a gadget, they are going to order it. If an investor likes a company, they are going to buy it. If this company is worth their attention, like WritePaper, the businessman will be happy with the investment. We cannot be so confident in the situation with the student, though. In most cases, such spontaneous purchases turn out to be useless.

WILFing

Are you familiar with this term? It is an abbreviation of “What was I looking for?” The Macmillan Dictionary defines it as “browsing the internet with no particular purpose.” Even if you did not know the term, you are certainly familiar with this situation. It is a general definition meant to highlight pointless googling, but the situation with shopping is very similar. So how can you avoid buying unnecessary gadgets?

1.  Shop for stuff you need

Thank you, Captain Obvious. Well, remember about WILFing. This is a hook that leads you to sales. Attractive discounts grab your attention. The next thing you know – there is less money on your account.

This happens to everyone shopping online. Most of these shoppers then confess that the item was not the right size, color, shape, or style. If they are honest, they will admit they regret the purchase. With gadgets, you undergo even more risks that you buy something of poor quality or useless.

2.  Buy for the right reasons

Our brain is intricate and complicated. We can think that we are tired. But in fact, we are bored. You can easily buy a professional body massager with a replaceable electrode wire when you think you are tired. But in fact, you only fill a psychological need such as relief from boredom. Be honest with yourself and make sure you have a good reason for investing in a drone.

3.  It is okay to buy nothing

When you are going to a big shopping mall and spend the whole day there, you expect this trip to pay for itself. In other words, you expect to find what you need. But sometimes, nothing fits our demanding requirements. And at this point, it is very important to remember: it is okay. A lot of people buy something only not to leave empty-handed. That is a mistake.

4.  Buy only what you need right now

Your brain will try to trick you. “Imagine how cool it would be to have this waterproof watch on your diving holiday in Egypt!” Or “You can impress everyone at a party with your waffles!” So you buy both a watch and a waffle maker. In reality, you might never go to Egypt or make waffles for your friends.

5.  Learn to share

If you are desperate to buy that latest electric scooter, talk to your friends. Perhaps someone wants it as much as you do. If none of you needs it on a daily basis, buy it together. Paying half the price is better than the whole amount. But make clear who uses it and when to avoid conflicts in the future.

6.  Buy good quality

This is a golden rule for any purchase. But when it comes to buying gadgets, it becomes platinum. Let us say you need a new phone. A phone is something you will always need. So buy a good-quality one. It does not always mean the most expensive, though.

You can choose a model that is simpler in design but has more technical options. At the end of the day, our phones are everything these days. They combine our MP3 players, e-Readers, fitness trackers, and whatnot. It would be great to know how to improve your device’s performance.

Buying apps can often cause unnecessary expenses. There is one app we recommend you to purchase, though – an app that tracks your spending.

Gadgets You Definitely Do Not Need To Buy

Kitchen appliances

1.   Pizza Gadgets

Have you got a stove? Then you can make pizza. But marketing is a very powerful thing. So watch out for these pizza-related gadgets:

  • forks with mini pizza slicers
  • pizza cutting shears
  • pizza kettle grill attachments
  • pizza peels
  • pizza toaster ovens

2.   Deep Fryer

French fries are a very affordable dish. It is much cheaper to order it in a cafe when the temptation is overwhelming. Deep fryers are terribly difficult to clean. And the smells they unleash are far from mouthwatering odors.

deep fryer 1

Source: https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/dirty-cooking-area-with-french-fries-deep-fryer_25362098.htm#query=deep%20fryer&position=16&from_view=search

3.   Bread Maker

Have you got an oven? Then you can bake bread. We guarantee that your fresh-baked loaf will be as crunchy and delicious as one from the bread maker. You do not need a separate device.

4.   Novelty Toasters

Everybody loves toast with jam, Nutella, or bacon. We are not saying a regular toaster is a waste of money. But do you really need a toaster that can:

  • make hot dogs?
  • Prepare eggs on the side?
  • Stamp bread with burnt pictures of Darth Vader or your family pet?

That is a big question. And you should think twice.

5.   Popcorn Popper

No movie night is decent without tons of popcorn. Everybody knows that microwave oven popcorn is dangerous due to the toxins. So make your popcorn on the stovetop. Please do not waste your money on a device you are going to use once in a blue moon.

Other Useless Gadgets

1.   GPS

A stand-alone GPS is not a necessity. Your phone can easily perform the same function. Just make sure that you turn on the notification while you are studying. Here are some more tips for managing your gadgets.

2.   Digital Cameras

They used to be great and cool in the past. But modern phones outstrip the quality of photos. Besides, they have large storage capacities and many special features.

3.   USB Flash Drives

Portable memory sticks were a sensation. Compared to CDRVS, they had many advantages. Nowadays, we can rely on iCloud. If we need to transfer the info to someone, we can always use free one-click sharing services.

2348991 copy

Source: https://www.freepik.com/free-psd/usb-stick-mockup-merchandising_4398540.htm#query=USB%20flash%20drive&position=7&from_view=search

4.   Baby Wipe Warmer

Speculating on first-time parents is a classical marketing strategy. If you have a baby sibling, you might consider this to be a good present. But a baby does not really need warm wipes.

Stop Wasting Money on Rapidly Depreciating Devices

To sum up, you do not really need to buy every novelty. But only you can control this and be in charge. This is how:

  1. Compare features and specifications carefully.

Better performance and superior features are hard to resist. But make sure these are not empty words that retailers bombard you with.

  1. Review last year’s model.

Companies invest huge money in advertising and promoting the latest model. But last year’s one is often not much worse.

  1. Consider a repair first.

If your gadget is malfunctioning, enquire how much a repair would cost. Sometimes, it is not worth it. But in some cases, you can save your device’s life.

  1. Play the waiting game.

A typical impulse purchase seems not so necessary after sleeping on this idea.

  1. Save an old device for insurance.

Hold onto an old model that can provide a free insurance plan. It will be a nice compensation.