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.

In most case, divorce is painful and very emotional for the people who experience it, as well as those close to them. But what most people are not aware of is that divorce is very likely to be one of the most damaging financial steps any couple can take.

My wife and I are not in danger, thank God we love each other so much. But we see many people getting divorce here and there. It’s like seeing a domino effect.

Anyways, what I know about them is that most of the crisis they went through involves money conflict. A divorce may be caused by unfaithfulness, but the ongoing problem that never seem to go away, hey you guess right, it’s all about money, and money, and money.

Here are John and Shelley, an couple that does the seemingly simple –but-can-be-a-problem-someday—kind of mistake many of us do: not talking about money before getting married. Young, both had jobs, spent most of their incomings, got married, and joined finances like most people do.

After a while, John became aware of his wife was a shopaholic, a compulsive spender. To make it worse, their lifestyle changed into worse financial management so that they had to live paycheck-to-paycheck and not having anything to save.

Then they had two children. Finances, or simply money, continued to be a stinging spot — they fought about them often. They never seemed to have enough money to get ahead. John then found in the bedroom closet Shelley’s wardrobe: dozens of expensive dresses, many still with the tags. He then found out there were many more Shelley hadn’t even carried into the house.
Gradually, John and Shelley fell into debt. Mortgage problem. To teach Shelley a lesson, John gave her the checkbook and asked her to pay the bills. It didn’t work, of course. Their financial crisis speeded up. Their house went into foreclosure. Finally, they lost their home. They finally filed a divorce.

Four money talks

For those of you who are going through similar financial ruins, one thing is certain: Until you deal bravely with your financial issues, you’re going to continue to forever be in problems. But the real time to address these issues is before you tie the knot, not ten years into the marriage.

Ron Lieber’s lists four financial issues that must be discussed before marriage:

1. Ancestry. How did your parent deal with money? What did they teach you about handling it? How your family manage money plays a great role in your own way to manage money.
2. Credit. Some experts recommend that couples who plan to get married pull their credit reports (and scores) together and discuss the results. You can even do it on your fifth date! Not romantic, but necessary to see how you can manage financial stuff together.
3. Control. Before getting married, both of you should decide who is responsible for which portion of the household accounts. Settle on the family financial structure. Know your budget, and how much each of you is allowed to spend freely.
4. Affluence. Most vitally, discuss and plan your financial goals. How prosperous do the two of you want to be? What are you willing to sacrifice to get there? I know a couple who lived like paupers for five years so that they could pay off all of their student loans and set up a solid financial base for the future. They worked together to reach their shared financial goal.

Obviously, disagreements over finance do happen in marriage, regardless how cooperative couples are. But what I know for sure, couples who always know they have to sacrifice something to reach their shared dream will not let disagreement lead them to divorce.