How To Decide Between Two Things

Every day you face choices. Some of them are simple, like do you want to wear a skirt or pants for work or school. Some of them are not as simple and take a bit more consideration. Knowing how to decide between two things can be difficult. When you are stuck trying to decide between two things, it’s best to look at different factors to help you narrow down your decision to one option. Below are five specific things that can help you choose many significant situations.

Present – How is this decision going to affect you today? What are your current feelings about the choice?
Immediate Future – In a month or two down the line, how are you going to feel about your choice? Will you regret your decision if you choose too hastily? Is it possible you are going to question your choice and second guess yourself?
Long-term Future – How will you feel about your decision years down the line? Will your choice make a difference in the lives of others?

Yes, some decisions are easier than others. But others take a bit more time to figure out which one you should choose. Below you’ll find some everyday situations where you may find yourself some time in your life where you will have to choose between two options and how to find the best one for you.

One Time Decisions

In general, there are two types of decisions that you’ll have to make. The first one is one-time decisions. These are usually decisions that you will only have to make once in your life.

Making a Choice Between Two College Majors

If you plan to go to college, there’s a good chance you’re going to have a major. Of course, some people make a decision to attend college undeclared and then choose their major later. But if you have two majors that you’re considering, below are some tips to help you select one.

Job Market – Which major is going to give you a better chance of getting a job in the future?
Passion – Which one are you more passionate about?
Cost – If you don’t get a scholarship, can you afford your chosen major? For example, being a pre-med is going to be much more expensive than going to school to be a music major.

If you can’t choose between the two majors and they are related, you can always have one as a major and do a minor in the second choice.

Making a Choice Between Two Colleges to Attend

Choosing a college or university to attend is one of the first big decisions that many people make. If you have been accepted to two colleges or universities, you’ll have to decide as to which to attend. Below are some things that can help you choose your college.

Distance – How far away is the college? If it’s close by, do you have a way to commute, such as a car or public transportation? If it’s far away, how will you get your items there and how often will you come home/
Cost – How much does the school cost to attend? Is one school offering you a scholarship? What are the lab fees, what meals are included, what is the living situation if you aren’t commuting?
Activities – What kind of extracurricular activities does the school offer? Do they have sports or a campus newspaper? What is campus life like?
Legacy – Do you have a legacy at one college over another? Did your parents or siblings attend that college?
Career Counseling – What kind of career counseling do they offer? Do they help with job placement after graduation?

These are just five things that you want to consider when you are trying to choose your college. They will help you with making your final decision about which school to attend.

Making a Choice Between Two Houses to Buy

When it comes to how to decide between two things, this is one that not many people have. But if you are lucky enough to find two homes that you want to choose between, you have a hard decision to make. If the price between the two is comparable and that’s not one of the considerations, other things can help you with choosing the right home for you.

House Considerations

Bathrooms – How many bathrooms does the house have? If you have a large family or you like to entertain, you will likely want to choose one that has more bathrooms.
Space – How many square feet does the house have? Getting a larger house at a great price is excellent. But if you don’t need a lot of space that might be wasted space. On the other hand, if you have a bigger family or you plan to have children, you’ll likely want more space.
Children – Do you plan to have children, or are your children older where they’ll be moving out soon? Just like the consideration for square feet, you’ll want to make sure that you have ample space if you’re planning to have children. However, if your children are older and will soon be out on their own, having a large house might not be feasible.
Problems – How many problems does it have? Unless you are having your house built from the ground up, there’s a good chance your house is going to have issues. Look at the two homes and see what needs to be done, then add up the things that need to be fixed. There’s a good chance that you will find one is much more expensive than the other one.
Property – How much property do you get? If you enjoy entertaining or you have children or pets, you may want to have a larger backyard and property. On the other hand, if you’re older and don’t want to have to worry about mowing a large lawn or landscaping, having a smaller property is likely a better idea.

External Considerations

Once you have looked at the two houses and considered all the things above, it’s also a good idea to look at the external factors. These will help you make the final decision.

Neighborhood – What kind of neighborhood is the house located? Some houses are in a homeowner’s association, which can create a whole lot of problems depending on how strict the association is.
Crime – What’s the crime rate? Whether you’re a young couple with children or an older couple, you want to know how safe the area is where you’ll be living. There are some great websites that you can check to find out an area’s crime rate.
School – How good is the school district? If you have children or you plan to have them, you want to check out the school districts where you will be living.
Shopping – How close is it to shopping? Even if it doesn’t have a huge grocery store close by, you want to know that there’s even a small store that you can go to nearby if you need milk, bread, etc.
Work – How far is it from your work? If there’s a big difference in the commute, this is something to consider.

Choosing between two houses can be difficult. But these asking yourself these questions when you are trying to decide will help you make the right decision.

Making a Choice Between Two Places to Have Your Wedding Reception

When you are getting married, you have many decisions to make. You have to choose a dress, a wedding date, a color scheme, and many other things. One of your most significant decisions will be where you want to have your wedding reception. If you’ve narrowed it down to two places, there are a few things that you can do to help you choose the right place for your reception.

Price – One of the biggest things you want to consider is the price of the reception hall. If you have a modest budget for your wedding reception, this is going to be a huge consideration. So, you want to look at the prices that they offer and compare them. You don’t just want to consider the expenses but also examine what the price encompasses.
Parking – Another thing you’ll want to look at is what kind of parking the place has. You want to ensure that everyone who is coming to the wedding reception will have enough room to park. It’s also worth it to see whether they offer valet parking.
Amenities – Does the reception hall have a dance floor if you want one? Do they have a changing room? What kind of sound system do they have? How big is the place which you will be renting?
Food – Does the reception hall allow you to bring in your caterer or baker, or do they require you to use theirs? If you have your heart set on a particular caterer and they require that you use theirs, you may want to choose the other one.

These are just some of the things that you want to consider when you are choosing between two different places to hold your wedding reception.

Decisions You May Have to Make Multiple Times

Along with the one-time decisions, there are also decisions that you may have to make multiple times over your life.

Making a Choice Between Two Job Offers

Finding a new job can be difficult, but when you get a job offer, it can put your mind at ease. But what if you have two job offers on the table? How do you decide which one to choose? Below we’ll look at some of the things to consider that can help you choose between the two.

Commute – One of the biggest things that you want to consider when you have two job offers is the commute. How far are the jobs from your home? Keep in mind that the length of the commute is not only going to cost you in hours but in wear and tear on your car and gas. If the commute is a long one, is there an option to take public transportation if you don’t want to drive or don’t have a car?
Hours – Another important consideration is the hours that they will require you to work. On paper, the job offer might look great. But how many hours will you have to work? Will you have to travel for work to other states regularly? Do the hours mean that you won’t get to see your children or that you may have to pay for childcare if your children aren’t school age? Do you have to work weekends?
Benefits – What types of benefits do the jobs offer? Will you be given healthcare, do they have a 401K, do they offer profit sharing? Do you get paid holidays or vacation time after a certain length of time in your employment? Do you get a discount if you are working for a retail establishment? Having a job that gives you benefits along with your salary is a big consideration.
Salary – Since salary was mentioned above, this is the next one. What kind of pay are the jobs offering you? Is it hourly or salary? Are you paid for overtime if you work more than your scheduled hours?
Chances for Advancement – Is there a chance for you to advance in your career if you take the job, or will you be in the same position for as long as you work there? If one of the jobs offers you chances to move up the corporate ladder and one doesn’t, this might help you make your choice.
What’s the Company’s Reputation – Before you make a decision, one of the biggest things that you want to do is to check out the company who offered you the job. You want to know something about the company for whom you’ll be working. One of the best websites to find out about a company is BBB. You also want to know how the company is doing financially, since you don’t want to get a job there and suddenly lose it because the company is going under. This can’t be always avoided but checking out their reputation can help you have a good idea of how they’re doing.
Duties – What are your duties going to be at the job? What will you be doing on a regular basis? Are the duties ones that you will be happy doing day in and day out?
Dress Code – What kind of dress code does the company have? This may not seem like a big deal for some people, but if they require you to wear certain clothing that you have to purchase yourself, spending money to work at a job may not make a lot of sense.
Passion – Does one of the jobs for which you received an offer follow your passion? Is it something in your field, or is it simply a way to pay your bills? If you got a degree, will you be using your degree? Is it a job that you can see yourself doing 5, 10, 15 or 20 years down the road?

These are some of the things you want to think about when you have to choose between two jobs. Having two job offers is a great position in which to be. But you also want to choose carefully, because if you choose wrongly you could wind up regretting your decision.

Making a Choice Between Two Vacation Spots

When vacation time comes around, one of the biggest decisions to make is where you will be going. What happens if you’re divided between two vacation destinations? It can be a hard decision to make, because no matter what someone is going to be disappointed. Below are some things to consider when you are deciding between two vacation spots.

Who – The first thing you want to consider is who is going on the trip. You are going to make a different decision if the people who are going are a parent and two school aged children than a group in their 20s or an older couple.
Budget – Next, you’ll want to figure out what your budget will be. If you’re a parent with children, you and your spouse will be paying for everything, whereas if it’s a group of unrelated adults, everyone will be dividing the hotel and rental oar costs equally so there could be a bit of wiggle room.
Area – What do the vacation spots offer? For example, are they both beach spots? Are their amusement parks close by? Are there educational areas? For example, if you go to Williamsburg, not only are there educational spots but there are also amusement parks and fun places to go.
Time of Year – This is a big one. For example, Disneyland and Disney World both have different prices depending on whether it’s peak season or not. Not only that but going to Florida or California during the summertime can be brutal. You also should consider what type of weather you may encounter while you are there. The last thing you want to do is go someplace tropical when there’s a high possibility of having a hurricane, since you may be evacuated, or you could be limited as to what you can do. Also, during spring break there are some big hot spots for college kids, so if you want to avoid a lot of kids, that’s also a consideration.
Special Events – In the year 2021, Walt Disney World will be turning 50. That’s an exciting event. In 2000, they had a year-long millennium celebration which brought many people to the park. If one of the spots is having a special once-in-a-lifetime event, you might decide to choose that spot.

One of the biggest benefits when you have to choose between two vacation spots is that there’s always the next year. Below are some tips that you can use to help you make your decision.

Create a pros and cons list
Compromise and agree to go to the other spot the next year
Bring up any special events happening at either spot, if applicable
Create a list of prices for everyone going, especially if it’s a family with kids
Look for online deals if budget is a problem for one of the people in the group.
Consider renting a house to save money on a hotel so that food can be made rather than going out all the time to eat.

Unlike other things that you may have to choose between, a vacation spot is one of the most flexible. There’s always the next year, if you decide not to go to one spot this year. Simply sit down and see what is going to be best for everyone involved and make a decision based on that. Unless there’s a special event, most other things will be equal and can help you with deciding.

Making a Choice Between Two Cars

When you have to purchase a new car, many times, unless you have your heart set on a certain model and make of car, you’re going to be looking at a couple of options. Since you are going to be locked in for up to 5 or 6 years, unless you are leasing the vehicle, you want to take your time and find the right car for you. Below are four main things you want to consider when you are choosing between two cars.

Gas Mileage – How many miles-per-gallon your car gets is going to be one of the biggest things you want to consider when you’re choosing a new car. The last thing you want is to have to be filling up your car every week because it’s bad on gas. Obviously, if you have a long commute you expect to have to fill up regularly. However, look at the MPG rating and see what you can expect from each model. Check out car fuel economy here.
Price – This is the biggest thing that most people consider when they are purchasing or leasing a car. How much are you going to be paying each month? This will vary depending on what you want the car to have and your credit rating. But it’s a good idea to use a website such as Kelly Blue Book to have an idea of what you can expect for your car price.
Extras – What kind of extras can you get with the car you are buying? Do you want a spoiler, moonroof, sunroof, extended cab if it’s a truck? Do you have a special color that you prefer? Some features and colors have to be specially ordered; some are stock.
Reviews – Before you make a decision about which vehicle to get, you want to read reviews to find out what others think about the vehicle. You want to know what recalls that model has had and what kind of problems people have had with it.
Safety – A big thing you want to consider when you are looking at two possible cars is their safety ratings. You want to make sure you’re safe when you’re on the road.

Just like a house, a car is a big investment. Before you go and decide between the two possible choices, you want to learn everything you can about the vehicles you’re considering. This will help you with making an informed choice.

Some decisions are easy, others are more difficult. When you are making a major decision, such as where to go to college, what house or car to buy or what job to take, you’re not just making a decision that will affect you in the here and now but for years and possibly decades to come. You want to be confident in your decision and know that you are doing the best for you and your family.

Here are some final tips to use:

Read reviews if applicable – If you are buying an item or using a service, read the reviews that other people have written. This will let you know what you can expect.
Consider all angles – Consider everything possible when you are making your decision. Write down the pros and cons of each choice and see which one looks better after you weigh your options.
Think of any possibilities – This is especially important when it’s not just you who is affected by your decision. If you are married with children, you want to take them into consideration and make your choice together.
Think of the future – If this is going to affect you not just for right now but in the future, take some more time to make your decision.

Final Thoughts

When you want to know how to decide between two things, use the tips that are listed here. They don’t cover everything, but they are going to give you a good place to start. Some decisions are easier than others, and some are going to be a lifelong decision while others are going to be for the here and now.

But every decision should be given the same amount of care and consideration because this will help you with creating good habits.