This is an editorial decision worksheet, not a diagnosis of your behaviour. It helps separate the first price you see, money already spent and pressure from other people from the cost of the choice available now.
Replace the first number with a comparison
Write down the asking price and at least one independently checked alternative for an equivalent item. Compare condition, delivery and total payment, not only a crossed-out old price. Label the old price as a retailer claim until you have evidence. This exercise is useful even when the displayed discount turns out to be genuine.
Separate past spending from the next decision
List money that cannot now be recovered in one column and future costs in another. For a subscription, ask what the next month buys rather than trying to justify all previous payments. Include an available refund or cancellation charge in the future column. This is a calculation method, not a claim that every past cost is irrelevant to every contract.
Write a reason that survives a pause
Name the need, the planned payment source and what you give up by buying. If the reason is mainly another person’s purchase or a countdown, take time to inspect the terms. Choose a pause appropriate to the actual deadline rather than an arbitrary universal waiting period. Check consumer education resources for a broader planning framework [1].
Write an alternative that you could actually choose
Compare buying now with one realistic alternative, such as waiting, using something already owned or selecting a lower-cost equivalent. Give each option the same time horizon and include only future costs that change between them. Keep sunk payments separate unless a refund is available. Write down the evidence still missing and the person or document that could answer it. Then set a decision date suited to the genuine need. This prevents a worksheet from becoming a justification for a preferred answer: the aim is to make assumptions visible, including non-financial preferences, before money is committed.
A calculation you can check
Fictional subscription decision: R600 previously paid cannot be refunded. Next month costs R100 and cancellation now costs R20. Compare the future R100 with R20 and the service needed; do not add R600 to only one option.
Questions about this decision
Is this a psychological test?
No. It is a practical worksheet for comparing evidence and future payments; it makes no diagnosis or prevalence claim.
How do I check an advertised discount?
Compare the delivered price for an equivalent item with a checked alternative. Keep evidence of any claimed previous price separate.
Should I ignore everything already spent?
Separate unrecoverable payments from refunds, rights and future obligations. Read the agreement before deciding what can change.
What if the offer really expires?
Verify the deadline and compare the cost of missing it with the cost of an unsuitable purchase.
Can this help with borrowing?
Write the complete repayment beside the purchase benefit and the expenses it displaces. Do not let approval stand in for that comparison.
What if someone else recommends the item?
Ask which need, budget and evidence their recommendation uses, then compare those with your own.
Do I need a fixed waiting period?
Choose time to obtain the missing evidence while respecting genuine deadlines and essential needs.
How can I record the final decision?
Keep the selected option, source date, total cost and reason. That makes a later review more useful than relying on memory.