Tips from Tammy: Buyerarchy of Needs

(Video transcript)- Buyerarchy

On today's tip from Tammy, we're talking about the Buyerarchy of Needs. It was created by illustrator Sarah Lazarovic and is obviously a riff on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Number one — use what you have:

That's the bottom of the pyramid. Obviously, this is the very best — make do with what you already have. Don't consume. Let's say that's not realistic.

Borrow and Swap:

So if you know someone who has roughly your same size and taste, it's easy to switch things out with them or swap. The nice thing about this is when you return what you lent to your friend or family member, it has a slightly new feeling again. So, you can get a kick out of your own stuff.

Thrift- Next best step:

So, let's say you don't have it, you can't borrow or swap it. The next best step would be to thrift it. You can buy it, but buy it secondhand. Secondhand has a bad rep, and it can also have some serious cultural significance. So, it's not for everyone. However, I am a huge fan and there are now great websites where you can easily and quickly use filters to find secondhand gems.

Step of Make:

Now we're getting to the top of the pyramid and the step of Make, I find that a hard sell. I don't know many people that make their own clothing or accessories. I know they're out there and there are communities, but it's not a super accessible option for most people.

Top of Pyramid- Buy:

So then we get to the top of the pyramid, and that is when you actually Buy.

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