Are most of your purchases planned, or impulse? - Page 2

DJUNGELSKOG · 05-22-2025, 01:39 PM

Almost all of my purchases tend to be impulse purchases, and so are the most of my library loans.

Yesterday I went to a used bookstore to buy a copy of “His Dark Materials” for €12. I left the store €70 later with the book that I wanted, but also with a beautiful copy of Wuthering Heights (it’s really pretty!), a hardcover edition of Max Hasting’s Catastrophe (no longer available in my language in hardcover, woohoo!!) and a book about daily life in Ancient Greece (for absolutely no reason).

A week ago I went to the library with an intention to deliver the books that I have borrowed despite my commitment to focus on reading books that I already own. I left the library with a firefighter’s memoir, why would I bother finishing those dull fantasy books when I could learn about a daily life of a firefighter, right??

DiapDealer · 05-22-2025, 03:32 PM

I almost 100% plan to buy books impulsively.

DNSB · 05-22-2025, 06:24 PM

Failing to plan is planning for failure.

Cactus Chef · 05-23-2025, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Failing to plan is planning for failure.

OTOH, some of my favorite purchases of the past couple years have been impulse buys. This is the joy of thrift store browsing!

JSWolf · 05-23-2025, 02:48 PM

My purchases are both planned and unplanned. Sometimes I see a book that looks interesting that's on sale and I'll buy it. The threads here with books for sale are where I mostly see the sales.

drofgnal · 05-31-2025, 04:01 AM

It's a mix. I sift through the amazon deal of the day books and see if there is something I might like, so those are my impulse buys, even though irritating amazon sends me emails of things it thinks I may like. I've bought a couple that way. Planned purchases are authors I've liked with new books coming out. I'd say I'm about 60/40 ish impulse/planned. Sometimes an author from an impulse purchase moves up to the 'planned' category.

annvonhagel · 06-01-2025, 07:33 AM

I generally wait for 'double points' periods at Amazon. Sometimes grab a free or super cheap book on impulse. Or if something on my with list is on deep sale. Most of my reading is of borrowed books, either from one of 6 libraries I have access to, or via Kindle Unlimited.

Lavender · 06-28-2025, 02:19 AM

I’m too poor for impulse purchases. If I buy something it’s because I already know it’s worth owning. There are plenty of ways to read before you buy it. I’m also of the opinion that impulse buys are likely to reward poor works not worth your investment.

drofgnal · 06-28-2025, 04:40 AM

New releases are more planned for authors I know and like. There are four coming this year that are planned. Ken Follet, Dan Brown, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and John Scalzi (Old Man's War Book 7), all are planned purchases.

View Poll Results: Are most of your purchases planned, or impulse?
Planned	14	28.00%
Impulse	4	8.00%
A mix	32	64.00%
Other/Not Applicable	0	0%
Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll

05-22-2025, 01:39 PM	#16
DJUNGELSKOG Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 441850 Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: Belgium / Vlaanderen Device: Kobo Libra 2 + Vivlio Light HD + (ancient) iPad Pro	Almost all of my purchases tend to be impulse purchases, and so are the most of my library loans. Yesterday I went to a used bookstore to buy a copy of “His Dark Materials” for €12. I left the store €70 later with the book that I wanted, but also with a beautiful copy of Wuthering Heights (it’s really pretty!), a hardcover edition of Max Hasting’s Catastrophe (no longer available in my language in hardcover, woohoo!!) and a book about daily life in Ancient Greece (for absolutely no reason). A week ago I went to the library with an intention to deliver the books that I have borrowed despite my commitment to focus on reading books that I already own. I left the library with a firefighter’s memoir, why would I bother finishing those dull fantasy books when I could learn about a daily life of a firefighter, right?? Last edited by DJUNGELSKOG; 05-22-2025 at 02:06 PM.

05-31-2025, 04:01 AM	#21
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,400 Karma: 10519918 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	It's a mix. I sift through the amazon deal of the day books and see if there is something I might like, so those are my impulse buys, even though irritating amazon sends me emails of things it thinks I may like. I've bought a couple that way. Planned purchases are authors I've liked with new books coming out. I'd say I'm about 60/40 ish impulse/planned. Sometimes an author from an impulse purchase moves up to the 'planned' category. Last edited by drofgnal; 07-02-2025 at 04:59 AM.

06-28-2025, 04:40 AM	#24
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,400 Karma: 10519918 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	New releases are more planned for authors I know and like. There are four coming this year that are planned. Ken Follet, Dan Brown, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and John Scalzi (Old Man's War Book 7), all are planned purchases. Last edited by drofgnal; 07-02-2025 at 05:03 AM.

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05-22-2025, 03:32 PM	#17
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,572 Karma: 204127028 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I almost 100% plan to buy books impulsively.

05-22-2025, 06:24 PM	#18
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 46,220 Karma: 168983734 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Failing to plan is planning for failure.

05-23-2025, 02:48 PM	#20
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,757 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	My purchases are both planned and unplanned. Sometimes I see a book that looks interesting that's on sale and I'll buy it. The threads here with books for sale are where I mostly see the sales.

06-01-2025, 07:33 AM	#22
annvonhagel Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2025 Device: Kindle colorsoft	I generally wait for 'double points' periods at Amazon. Sometimes grab a free or super cheap book on impulse. Or if something on my with list is on deep sale. Most of my reading is of borrowed books, either from one of 6 libraries I have access to, or via Kindle Unlimited.

06-28-2025, 02:19 AM	#23
Lavender Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 514138 Join Date: Jan 2025 Device: Kobo Clara BW	I’m too poor for impulse purchases. If I buy something it’s because I already know it’s worth owning. There are plenty of ways to read before you buy it. I’m also of the opinion that impulse buys are likely to reward poor works not worth your investment.