Shopping in a purposeful way starts with knowing what your personal style is and what your needs are. Fashions move in cycles, so don’t let current trends dictate your taste. If you buy something you love, it will hold your interest and it will last.
Try where possible, to steer away from what is currently 'in' because that can go 'out' very quickly and what you think is an up-to-date and on-trend style is quickly pigeonholed into a particular fashion era.
One of the current trends is the impractical use of bowls as bathroom benchtop basins.
Stick with the classics, the things you love and are useful but are also beautiful to look at, and not only will it look satisfyingly good, it will save you a load of money in the long run.