Support & Help

Smart Buy Decide - Making Smarter Purchasing Decisions

Getting Started

How It Works

Smart Buy Decide helps you make better purchasing decisions by evaluating items through a simple questionnaire. Here's how to use the app:

Enter Item Details: On the home screen, enter the name and price of the item you're considering purchasing.
Answer Questions: The app will guide you through a series of questions to help evaluate your purchase:
- Is this a need or a want?
- Can you comfortably afford it?
- Will you still want this in 30 days?
- Do you already own something similar?
- Are you feeling emotional right now?
- How often will you use this?
Get a Recommendation: Based on your answers, you'll receive a recommendation: Buy, Wait, or Skip.
Use Wait Periods: For items that need more consideration, you can set a waiting period (typically 24-48 hours) to give yourself time to think before making a final decision.
Track Your Progress: View your purchase history, see how much you've saved, and track your spending habits over time.

Features Overview

Purchase Evaluation: Answer questions to get personalized recommendations
Wait Periods: Set waiting periods to avoid impulse purchases
Purchase History: Track all your decisions and see your spending patterns
No-Buy Challenge: Build better spending habits with calendar tracking and streak achievements
Budget Tracking: Set spending limits and track your budget (Premium feature)
Multi-language Support: Available in English, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Chinese
Dark Mode: Full dark mode support with automatic theme switching

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: Is my data stored securely?
A: Yes. All your data is stored locally on your device. We do not collect, transmit, or store any personal information on external servers. Your data is protected by your device's security features.

Q: Does the app work offline?
A: Yes. The app functions entirely offline and does not require an internet connection for core features. The only feature that requires internet is subscription management.

Q: Can I use the app in multiple languages?
A: Yes. The app supports English, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Chinese. You can change the language in Settings.

Q: How do I change the theme?
A: Go to Settings > Appearance > Theme. You can choose between Light, Dark, or Auto (which follows your device's theme).

About Recommendations

Q: How does the recommendation system work?
A: The app uses a scoring algorithm based on your answers to the evaluation questions. It considers factors like need vs. want, affordability, emotional state, and usage frequency to provide a recommendation.

Q: Should I always follow the app's recommendation?
A: No. The app is designed to support, not replace, your own judgment. Use it as a tool to help you think through purchases, but make the final decision based on your own circumstances and priorities.

Q: Can I customize the questions?
A: Currently, the evaluation questions are fixed. However, you can add your own notes to each purchase decision for additional context.

Wait Periods

Q: What is a wait period?
A: A wait period is a time delay you set before making a final decision on a purchase. Research shows that waiting 24-48 hours can dramatically reduce impulse buys.

Q: How long can I set a wait period?
A: You can set wait periods from 1 day up to several days, depending on your subscription tier.

Q: Can I cancel a wait period?
A: Yes. You can make your decision at any time, even before the wait period ends.

Purchase History & Data

Q: Can I export my purchase history?
A: Yes. Premium users can export their data in various formats. Go to Settings > Data > Export Data.

Q: How do I delete my data?
A: You can delete individual items from your history, or clear all data by going to Settings > Data > Clear All Data. Warning: This action cannot be undone.

Q: What happens to my data if I uninstall the app?
A: All data stored locally on your device will be permanently deleted when you uninstall the app. We recommend exporting your data first if you want to keep a backup.

No-Buy Challenge

Q: What is the No-Buy Challenge?
A: The No-Buy Challenge helps you build better spending habits by tracking consecutive days where you avoid impulse purchases. You can log days as "impulse-free" and build streaks.

Q: How do I log a day in the challenge?
A: Open the Challenge tab, then tap on any past or current day to mark it as impulse-free. Consecutive logged days create a streak.

Q: Can I see my past challenge history?
A: Full challenge history is available to Premium users. Free users can see current and recent activity.

Premium & Subscriptions

Q: What's included in Premium?
A: Premium includes:

Unlimited purchase evaluations
Full purchase history access
Complete challenge calendar and streak history
Budget tracking
Data export
Extended wait periods
Advanced insights and statistics

Q: How do I restore my Premium subscription?
A: Go to Settings > Subscription > Restore Purchases. This will restore your subscription if you've purchased it on another device or after reinstalling the app.

Q: Can I cancel my subscription?
A: Yes. You can manage your subscription through your device's App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) settings. Cancel at least 24 hours before the end of your current period to avoid charges.

Q: What happens after my trial ends?
A: If you don't cancel before your trial ends, your subscription will automatically renew. You'll be charged according to your selected plan (monthly or yearly).

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: The app crashes when I try to evaluate a purchase

Solution: Try closing and reopening the app. If the issue persists, try clearing the app cache or reinstalling the app. Make sure you're using the latest version.

Issue: My purchase history disappeared

Solution: Check if you accidentally cleared your data (Settings > Data > Clear All Data). If you have a backup, you can restore it. Otherwise, the data cannot be recovered if it was deleted.

Issue: I can't restore my Premium subscription

Solution:
1. Make sure you're signed in to the same App Store/Google Play account you used to purchase Premium
2. Check your internet connection
3. Try restarting the app
4. If the issue persists, contact support

Issue: The app doesn't show my language

Solution: The app currently supports English, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Chinese. If your language isn't available, we're working on adding more languages. Check back for updates.

Issue: Wait period notification didn't appear

Solution: Check your device's notification settings to ensure Smart Buy Decide has permission to send notifications. Also verify that your device isn't in Do Not Disturb mode.

Performance Issues

Issue: The app is running slowly

Solution:
- Close other apps to free up memory
- Restart your device
- Clear the app cache (device settings)
- If you have a large purchase history, consider exporting and clearing old data

Issue: Battery drain

Solution: The app should have minimal battery impact. If you notice excessive battery usage, try restarting your device or reinstalling the app. Contact support if the issue persists.

Contact & Support

Getting Help

If you have questions, issues, or feedback, please contact us:

App Store Review Section: Contact us through the app store review section where you downloaded Smart Buy Decide. We monitor reviews and respond to user feedback.

Email: support@louisereid.dev

Note: Due to privacy-focused design, we don't collect user information. Please include:

Your device type (iOS/Android)
App version (found in Settings > About > Version)
A description of your issue or question
Steps to reproduce the issue (if applicable)

Feature Requests

We love hearing your ideas for improving Smart Buy Decide! Submit feature requests through:

App Store reviews
Your feedback helps us prioritize new features and improvements

Reporting Bugs

If you encounter a bug, please report it through the app store with as much detail as possible:

What you were doing when the bug occurred
What you expected to happen
What actually happened
Screenshots (if applicable)
Device and app version information

Tips for Success

Making Better Decisions

Be Honest: Answer evaluation questions truthfully for the best recommendations
Use Wait Periods: Give yourself 24-48 hours for significant purchases
Review Your History: Regularly check your purchase history to identify spending patterns
Track Your Streaks: Use the No-Buy Challenge to build lasting habits
Set a Budget: Premium users can set spending limits to stay on track

Getting the Most from the App

Regular Use: Evaluate purchases consistently to build a comprehensive history
Add Notes: Include notes with your decisions to remember why you made specific choices
Review Weekly: Check your weekly statistics to see your progress
Use Categories: Categorize purchases to see where you spend the most
Export Data: Regularly export your data as a backup (Premium feature)

Privacy & Data

Your Privacy Matters: Smart Buy Decide is designed with privacy as a priority. All data is stored locally on your device. We don't track you, collect analytics, or share your information. See our Privacy Policy for complete details.

Data Control: You have complete control over your data. You can export it, delete individual items, or clear everything at any time.

Last updated: January 2026

For the latest version of this support guide, please check the app or visit the app store listing.