Most guides to the hoobuy spreadsheet treat every decision the same. Should I buy this item is treated identically to how much should I spend this year. This guide separates them into five decision levels — each with its own scope, timing, and inputs.
Level 1: Annual planning (strategic)
Scope: what role does hoobuy play in your wardrobe strategy this year?
Timing: once per year, ideally in January.
Inputs: last year’s log, wardrobe assessment, budget envelope.
Outputs: annual budget (US$500-2500), primary category focus, target number of parcels.
Time investment: 30 minutes.
Level 2: Quarterly focus (planning)
Scope: what should this quarter’s shopping accomplish?
Timing: once per quarter — January, April, July, October.
Inputs: Level 1 goals, seasonal calendar, wardrobe gaps identified last quarter.
Outputs: quarterly theme (restock basics, complete outfit, chase specific silhouette), rough parcel count, coupon-timing awareness.
Time investment: 20 minutes.
Level 3: Weekly session tactics (operational)
Scope: what does this shopping session need to do?
Timing: every Sunday morning.
Inputs: Level 2 focus, current warehouse contents, current coupon status.
Outputs: browsing plan for the session (which category, how long), QC review priority, cart candidates.
Time investment: 45 minutes per week.
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Level 4: Session-time execution (operational)
Scope: for each session, execute the Level 3 plan.
Timing: in-session, real-time.
Inputs: Level 3 plan, actual listing options, actual QC coverage.
Outputs: screenshots taken, community QC reviewed, cart submissions.
Time investment: 5 minutes of decision framing per session.
Level 5: Single-item calls (tactical)
Scope: should I buy this specific item?
Timing: at cart-submission moment for each item.
Inputs: all higher levels, community QC on this listing, sizing chart cross-check.
Outputs: yes/no on this item.
Time investment: 60 seconds per item.
Worked example: buying a jacket
- Level 1: this year, I want a completed autumn techwear look. Budget US$1200 total.
- Level 2: Q3 focus is jackets and mid-layers.
- Level 3: this week’s session focuses on softshell jackets in the sheet.
- Level 4: screenshotted three candidates; reviewed community QC.
- Level 5: candidate A has 22 community QC photos, clean stitching, correct color. Yes.
Each level restricted the decision space. By Level 5, the yes was almost automatic.
What happens when levels are collapsed
Collapsing Level 5 with Level 3:
- Every browsing session becomes an emergency decision.
- No strategic filtering happens.
- Cart submissions feel unstructured and stressful.
Collapsing Level 1 with everything else:
- No annual coherence.
- Purchases drift from the actual wardrobe strategy.
- Budget overshoot is common.
When to skip levels
Buyers shipping 1-3 parcels per year can skip Levels 1-2 entirely. Level 3 becomes seasonal instead of weekly. Level 5 still matters.
Buyers shipping 4-12 parcels per year benefit from all five levels.
Buyers shipping 12+ parcels per year absolutely need all five to prevent budget and time overshoot.
The level-mismatch anti-patterns
- Making Level 1 decisions in a shopping session (“maybe I should re-envision my wardrobe…”).
- Making Level 5 decisions without Level 3 framing (“this looks cool, adding to cart”).
- Treating Level 4 as Level 1 (spending an evening deciding everything, then bouncing).
How the levels compound over time
Level 1 planning compounds: each year’s plan reflects lessons from the previous. Level 2 focus compounds: quarterly themes teach you which themes work. Level 5 discipline compounds: 100 correctly-executed single-item calls builds a calibrated eye.
The self-audit
After your next quarter of shopping, ask:
- Did I plan at Level 1?
- Did I follow Level 2 focus?
- Did Level 3 sessions actually connect to Level 2?
- Did I execute Level 4 in-session?
- Did every Level 5 call have Level 3 framing?
Answer honestly. Adjust.
Related reading
Apply the architecture with the 30-day diary. Use it against coupon timing with the annual coupon calendar.
Return to our hoobuy Spreadsheet homepage for the full library of guides and the latest sheets.
Frequently asked questions
What is a decision architecture?
A layered structure that assigns each decision type to its appropriate scope. Prevents you from making an item-level decision with strategic-level information, or vice versa.
Why five levels?
Enough to separate distinct decision scopes (strategy, tactics, execution) without collapsing them. Fewer levels lose fidelity; more create bureaucracy.
Which level do buyers usually skip?
Level 1 (annual planning). Most buyers start at Level 3 (session tactics) which means shopping happens without strategic direction.
How much time does each level need?
Level 1: 30 minutes annually. Level 2: 20 minutes quarterly. Level 3: 45 minutes weekly. Level 4: 5 minutes per session. Level 5: 60 seconds per item.
What if I hate planning?
Do only Level 3 and Level 5. You will still shop reasonably well. Higher levels compound benefits for regular buyers; skip if you shop less than 4 parcels per year.
How does this help build hoobuy finds?
Higher levels frame what a good find looks like for your specific rotation. Lower levels apply that frame to specific candidates.
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