[Personal Finance Guides n Tips] Why Not Buying Something Perfect?

Simple. There are 2 types of buyers, and they are:

1. the one who only accept the best. This kind of buyers will search for all options, compare the prices, and spend so many hours just to find a pair of shoes, for example. This kind of buyers is commonly called the maximizers.
2. the second type is satisficers, who often think that good enough is enough. They have standards, but if what they’re looking for qualifies for those standards, they buy it. Sometimes these standards take form in maximum price tag, durability, etc

The difference is that in most cases satisficers save more time when purchasing or buying something. When they found something that is great, they refuse to spend more time to find the best.

The problem with maximizers is that they often not as happy as satisficers. A research found that:

• Maximizers are more likely to regret their purchases despite the fact that they have (in theory, at least) come closer than Satisficers to making the best decision.
• On the flip side, Satisficers generally feel more positive about their purchases. They know they’ve made a choice that met their expectations.
• Maximizers enjoy positive events less than Satisficers, and they don’t cope as well with negative events.

In general, I agree that when you are faced with too many choice, there’s no choice at all. It is proven scientifically since researchers has found out that when an employer increases the number of options for retirement savings, the likelihood that employees will actually save for retirement goes down. This means that if you give a consumer a handful of options, he’s happy. He feels in control of his life. But when there are dozens of choices available, he’s all at sea.  Perfection is actually a moving target and in the end you better make a solid decision today than perfect decision next week.

In order to be happy with “good enough” stuff and decrease the stress of maximizers, there are a lot of tips that you can try. Some of them are:

1. Don’t sweat unimportant decisions. Did it really matter which hair gel I selected? Of course not. I should have just picked one in the first ten seconds and called it good enough.
2. Limit your options. If you’re faced with overwhelming choices, arbitrarily reduce the field. When shopping for a new bicycle, for example, restrict yourself to a certain store or a certain brand.
3. Learn to accept “good enough”. If you’re a Maximizer like me, it can be tough to make the leap to the land of Satisficing. But remember: The perfect is the enemy of the good. You’ll be happier if you accept a good option and stop looking for perfection.
4. Stick with what you know. Schwartz argues that unless you’re dissatisfied with a product, you should stick with what you always buy. Don’t be tempted by “new and improved” options. Habits make people happy. (My research shows that this last fact is true in many ways.)
5. Don’t second guess yourself. Once you’ve made a decision, stick with it. Buyer’s remorse can nag at your heart. Ignore it. Be decisive.
6. Embrace restraints. Schwartz argues that it’s possible to learn to love limitations. Limits give us boundaries. They eliminate uncertainty. When we know our boundaries, we can focus on thriving within them.

Remember the golden rule: some choice is good, too much is not.