ALT Ask yourself these questions on what kind of collector you would like to be: - What specific Club Penguin merchandise would I like to collect? - Do I want to be a completionist and collect every Club Penguin merch? - Do I want to just collect every item in a series line? - Do I want to just collect merchandise that only has designs I like? - Do I want to collect every rare merch? - Do I want to collect items in mint condition still in their packaging and with tags and coin codes or without them? - Why do I like this merchandise? Narrow down on which category you’d like to collect: penguin plushies, puffle plushies, mix n’ match figures, Card-Jitsu cards, pins, etc. Take a look at the Club Penguin Merchandise Spreadsheet available in our Discord server's #resources channel.

ALT 2. Add the item you might be interested in a wishlist first before purchasing. 
If you have a tendency to impulse buy something, you can curb this by adding the item to your wishlist instead of hitting the checkout button. This will give a dopamine rush your brain and still give instant gratification while you aren’t spend on something you may possibly regret. It’s okay if you eventually change your mind on a wishlist item and delete it from your wishlist if you no longer find it appealing to buy or own. Some examples of wishlists are provided from our community. Use the #searching-for channel in our Discord server to post your wishlists.

ALT 3. Examine your personal finances, your monthly average earned income, and make a budget on how much you would spend on Club Penguin merch periodically* Do you have important expenses? Calculate how much percentage of your income goes to important expenses. This will be the most percentage where your income goes. Then calculate the percentage of how much money should go to your savings account or investments. The final and least amount of percentage your income should go to your Wants or “Fun” Money; this can include the amount you want to spend on Club Penguin merch. Keep track on each of your transactions and spendings for the month and not just Club Penguin merch you bought so you know if you are either following or going over your budget! You can make an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet or search for a free budgeting sheet template for your personal finances. Everyone’s income and lifestyle is different. HINT: Use a spreadsheet!

ALT 4. Never purchase immediately unless: 1. It’s an item on your wishlist already 2. It’s market price-appropriate. 3. DO NOT BUY FROM SCALPERS! If you come across something you are tempted to buy immediately, go back to number 1 of this guide and ask yourself those questions again. Check back your wishlist on whether it’s an item what you really want, and check your budget sheet and finances on whether you have enough to spend on the item for the month. If you’re still unsure, you can also give yourself a cooling-off period of 24 hours. By waiting 1 day, you give yourself a chance to reconsider the purchase during a neutral state of mind. Some sellers and scalpers list particular merch overpriced than their actual current market value, so wait patiently for potential better deals in the future. We can also answer an estimated price for an item and more related questions in our #buying-advice channel in our Discord server.