Here’s my philosophy of buying stuff (which relates to how I review things, too)…

• Buy the best

 If you want or need something, you may as well take pleasure and satisfaction in owning and using it, as opposed to settling for “pretty good.”  No one wants to just get by.  Reward yourself.  Find out what the best is and get it.  Why buy 5 of something over 10 years when you can buy 1 really good model of that same thing that will last 10 years and consistently outperform the run-of-the-mill versions?  You’ll save money in the long run.  People will notice that you’re the kind of guy who goes for and enjoys the best.  Not that you really care what other people think.

• The best is not necessarily the most expensive

 Sometimes the best is the most expensive.  But not always.  Some product prices have a “prestige” or “fashionableness” factor added.  Sometimes the most expensive item is a piece of dreck.  (Certain designer clothes come to mind.  For example, if you were heli-boarding in Alaska, would you want the D&G Colorblock ski jacket ($1,215) or the Patagonia Pipe Down Jacket ($300)?)  You only want the features you want.

•  If you want it, buy it

Life is short.  It is not for accumulating stuff but for the accumulation of great experiences.  Stuff can provide or enhance great experiences, though, so life is also about accumulating stuff that provides experiences that you want.  You don’t have to justify your wants.  You just have to know what they are and act on them.  If you did not have desire, you would not be alive.  The journey to get what you want makes life sweet, but ownership is cool, too.

•  The right tool for the job is much more satisfying and rewarding to use

This is in keeping with the old saw that “I know which end of the screwdriver to pound a nail with.”  You’d rather use a screwdriver than a butter knife to screw in a screw.  And you’d probably prefer an electric screwdriver when it’s a big job.  When you have a choice, get the right tool for the job.  On the other hand, don’t whine if you can’t.  Going MacGyver has its rewards.  With regard to another paragon of practicality, one distinctive thing about James Bond is that he always uses the right tool for the job.  And he has no trouble deciding which tool is right.  (Is he dressing for the tropics?  Then it’s sea island cotton.)  Except when he can’t access the ideal tool and then he improvises rather brilliantly.  Nowadays, with certain complex or creative tasks, we must sometimes research what the “right” tool is.  Should you use Gimp or Photoshop?  Ski-doo or Polaris?  Wilson or Babolat?  Since there’s so much stuff to choose from (in first-world countries, and the third world is catching up), sometimes style becomes an overriding factor.  (Have you determined your own style?)  But don’t be a slave to style, either.  If you clearly define the job, you can usually define the tool.

• Newer is not necessarily better, but sometimes it is

When you can afford a newer, better item, get it (unless the one you already have is exceeding your expectations).  Newer is usually better when it comes to electronics, cruise ships, running shoes, condoms, and blogs about best stuff for men.  Newer is not necessarily better when it comes to Toyota FJ40 Cruisers, cognac, hats, and books.

• Pay cash if at all possible…

…and it almost always is.  What this means is pay as you go.  Don’t put your future in hock.  No one likes to be in debt.  No one.  Even if you have the item in hand, if you’re paying interest on it, it dilutes your pleasure, if only a bit.  Sure, you might have to wait awhile to get whatever it is (the best:  see point one), but why hand your money to the credit card companies in interest charges month after month?  It’s pretty futile and can be avoided by just a bit of delayed gratification.  Save for a few months for the expensive item.  (Of course, when you buy online, which is what this site helps you do, you use a credit card, but you pay the balance each month.)  This does not necessarily apply to things like cars, jet airplanes, and houses (though the depreciation on most cars is brutal).  Being debt-free is its own reward.

• If you have something you no longer like or use or will use, get rid of it

Sell it on eBay or Craigslist.  Give it to Goodwill.  Make room for the new.   For guys especially, clutter can be a hazard.  We keep things beyond all need or usefulness, often sentimentally.  (Yes, you know you do.)  We identify with it, or with our memory of it – that original new-item smell, who we were when we got it, what we used it for, how our friends were, etc..  Back in 14,000 B.C. I’m sure somewhere around the cave Ugg kept the first rock he killed a baby mammoth with when he was a kid, even though he now owns bigger and better rocks.  It’s easy to get attached but, you know, technology keeps progressing.  Sometimes it’s good to go with it.  Especially when it comes to t-shirts and underwear.   (For example, I still have a thread-bare pair of Joe Boxer (remember when they were popular?) boxers with happy faces on them given to me by a former girlfriend.  They’re too holey to wear now and the girlfriend broke up with me long ago, but they’re still tucked somewhere in the back of a drawer.) 

• Brand loyalty is fine as long as the brand is loyal to you

Just as you wouldn’t slavishly buy something just because it’s fashionable, why would you stick with a particular brand if it starts to go downhill or treats you less than respectfully?  Quality is king.  The highest-quality stuff will always find patrons, and if a company, artisan, or organization has integrity, will cater carefully to its loyal patrons.  Think Ferrari.

• Do you regard something as a luxury?  Then it is probably more important to get it than something you regard as a necessity 

Why?  Because it will enhance your life more.  

• There’s no shortage

There will always be cool things to want and get.  Always.  Humanity has never run out of improved stuff and never will.

• When it comes to gifts, prioritize your observations, followed by your intuition, followed by your personal preferences

Observe the person you’re shopping for over time to see what they like — they’ll mention stuff or otherwise give indications.  Note what they smile at, what fascinates them.  If they express few preferences, figure out what they like to do on vacation or for entertainment or when they have free time.  Then give them something that relates to that.  On the other hand, what do they criticize?  Give them the opposite.  If you see something and intuitively feel they’ll like it, they probably will.  If you’re half-assing a gift purchase for someone, their response to it will also be half-assed (though they’ll probably be polite).  Finally, don’t give them something only because you like it.  Everyone is unique.  If you notice their uniqueness and cherish it somehow, they’ll love you for it.  Give the gift of great experiences.  Of course, for women that means jewelry.