The pleasure of buying and the pleasure of using are worth telling apart.

The pleasure of acquiring something and the pleasure of living with it are separate experiences, and they often run in opposite directions. The first is quick and anticipatory, largely finished by the time the box is open. The second is slow, and it only shows up in whether the thing still gets used in March. Shops are built to sell the first and stay quiet about the second.

Before buying, picture an ordinary Wednesday six months from now and ask whether it appears in that day. Look at what you already own that gets used most, and notice what those things have in common.