A few years ago, I started to limit the number of choices when it came to consuming products. I started to experiment with clothing. I could not commit to wearing only one brand of clothes, for obvious reasons (hello human billboard), and two felt somewhat limited considering the different pieces of clothing that are necessary to constitute the wardrobe of a man in his thirties living in a world city. A curated selection of three brands felt right.
The benefits were obvious, going beyond the newfound piece of mind.
When shopping for clothes, I only stopped by three shops, and visited only three websites. No more wandering around stores looking for that perfect sweater that may not exist. I know that I don’t really need it anyway.
Spending less money, spending more time where it matters
Once you know what all those selected brands have to offer, once you know what you need to wear year-round, there remains very little temptation. What about when I need a new shirt? Well, the possibilities are all there. No need to look elsewhere. Those shirts are more than good enough; it spares me the time to look elsewhere, and I can spend that additional time on something more important to me. When I need a new pair of shoes, I already know my size. And when I discover a pair of jeans that might look good? Well, they do not belong to my go-to brand list so I don’t even think about buying them.
The abundance of possibilities when it comes to buying stuff is overwhelming. Not only can you spend an inordinate amount of time making a decision, but the temptation of buying new stuff can be hard to resist if you don’t set artificial boundaries like this one, which can even result in you saving some money in the process. The three-brand limit offers me guidance in choice. Those brands are in tune with my tastes, style and measurements, and they complement each other well; they are also brands I trust, respect, and appreciate for the quality of their products.
The number three has made me a better consumer.