Optimal Finance Daily · Saturday, August 1, 2026
Podcast host Justin Malik shares his personal strategy for making wise purchasing decisions, inspired by Steve Chou's article. He asks himself, 'Will future me be thankful for this?' before buying an item, finding that an honest answer often leads to avoiding the purchase. Malik emphasizes the benefit of a waiting period between the desire to buy and the actual purchase.
“I have a little question I ask myself in the moment. Will future me be thankful for this?”
“It's surprising how often the honest answer is no.”
“Just putting a day or two or a week for bigger, between wanting something and buying it, really can help.”