The true cost of an item

I’ve figured out a way to calculate the true cost of anything you buy.

It’s simple:

Take the item you want to buy and figure out what accessories you want/need to buy with it, and calculate it as a total cost.

For example, with my Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS system I knew it’d cost around $250 before tax, but I had to buy a case to carry it in, something small, sleek and easy so that I don’t leave the electronic gadget in the car.

By the way, did you know that thieves (in Montreal and New York) can now scan for electronic devices in the car, even if they’re turned off and hidden well?

Do NOT leave anything electronic in the car! AT ALL. Take it all with you when you leave.

I’d have to factor in:

Garmin Nuvi 255W GPS: $250
Small slim carrying case: $25
Total = $275 before tax

Which meant I had to think about saving up $325 to buy the GPS system, or at least be willing to shell out that amount.

Products from Apple, especially those iPods and iPhones are a glut for accessories. I know!

So next time you want to buy something – a pair of shoes and you need a pair of tights or heel blister pads, or shoe grippers to wear with those pair of shoes, you should calculate it this way:

Pair of shoes: $100
Tights: $20
Heel pads: $10
Shoe Grips: $10
Total = $140

And that’s all before tax!

So readers, what do you think?

Do you do something similar before you buy anything?

Or do you just buy it and figure out the wants/needs later?