Buy Wise

The research you'd do if you had an hour — done in seconds

Pre-purchase research assistant. Enter what you're buying and get fair price analysis, timing advice, total cost of ownership, cheaper alternatives, regret predictions, negotiation scripts, and an impulse check. Like having a knowledgeable friend who stops you from overpaying.

Overview

BuyWise gives you everything you'd learn from an hour of research in seconds. Enter any product, and it tells you if the price is fair, whether to buy now or wait, the true total cost of ownership (including consumables and maintenance), cheaper alternatives that do 90% of the job, common buyer regrets, where to buy, and negotiation scripts when haggling is realistic. Comparison mode lets you evaluate two products side by side weighted by your priorities. The impulse check is an honest gut-check for purchases you're not sure about.

How to use it

1. Enter what you're buying — specific model or general product type both work
2. Add the price you've seen (optional — helps with fair price analysis)
3. Select your currency and urgency (need it today vs can wait)
4. Pick what matters most to you (price, durability, features, quality, convenience)
5. Toggle 'impulse buy' if you're not sure you need it — gets you an honest evaluation
6. Use 'Compare with another product' to evaluate two options head-to-head
7. Add any context that matters ('I bake once a month', 'replacing a 5-year-old laptop')
8. Hit Research and review each section

Example

Scenario: You're looking at a KitchenAid stand mixer for $350. You bake occasionally and your priority is durability. You can wait.

What you do: Enter 'KitchenAid stand mixer', price $350, urgency 'Can wait', priority 'Durability', context 'I bake once a month'

Result: Verdict: 'Good mixer, but overpaying — and you might not need it.' Fair Price: Typically $250-280 on sale, $350 is full retail. Timing: Wait for Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday for 25-30% off. TCO: $350 + $40 in attachments = $390 year 1. Cheaper Alternative: Hamilton Beach stand mixer ($80) handles everything except bread dough. Regret Predictor: 'People who bake occasionally use their stand mixer about 8 times in the first year. That's $44 per use at this price.' Impulse check not triggered but context note: 'You said you bake once a month. A $35 hand mixer handles that. Save the stand mixer for when you're baking weekly.'

Tips

• The Total Cost of Ownership often reveals the real price — a cheap printer needs expensive ink
• Impulse check mode is genuinely useful — it asks questions you're avoiding
• Comparison mode works best when you specify your priority so it can weight the recommendation
• The negotiation scripts only appear when haggling is realistic — cars, furniture, services, rent
• Adding context ('replacing old one', 'gift', 'bake once a month') dramatically improves the advice
• Timing advice includes sale calendars — waiting 3 weeks can save 30%

Common pitfalls

• Prices are AI estimates from general market knowledge — always verify current prices
• The tool can't check live inventory or current sales
• Negotiation advice works best for big-ticket items where haggling is expected