Shopping Triggers

Let’s talk a tiny bit about shopping, shall we? For some people, shopping is a rare occurrence, for some people it’s a weekly one! As 2019 started, tons of people on social media were talking about consuming less: shopping fasts, shopping diets and no-buy rules. I started off on the same foot and then changed my no-buy to a low-buy to be a little more realistic. I haven’t been adding tons into my wardrobe, but I do pick up a few pieces here and there - sometimes more than I would want. I thought I would outline some shopping triggers and potential solutions just in case you feel the same way and want to get back into the January 2019 no-buy mindset.

Sales

A good sale is really enticing. It can make it easier to justify a bigger purchase because of the amount of money you’re “saving”, or it can be an excuse to have a peak at what the shop is selling. Sales are money-spending enablers, when you think about it. Without a sale, that “amazing” item wouldn’t even be a contender because of the price point or you wouldn’t even feel the need to walk into the store.

Realistically, sales sometimes are great if you are in the market for an item and that particular item is on sale. Just proceed with caution.

The other thing you might want to consider is that sale items are the pieces that didn’t sell in the current season. It could be the “trendy” cuts and colours or styles that don’t suit the seasons temperatures. If the garment is on sale for the “trend” factor, I would pass on it because it probably isn’t going to last a long time in your wardrobe.

Online Ease

Shopping online is a little too easy. The convenience of browsing at your ease, anytime you want, from the comfort of your home really makes it easy to spend more money. If you think about it, would you have made the trip out of the house to buy that piece you ordered online? That might be a good question to ask yourself before ordering.

I try to avoid shopping online unless the store isn’t available near me. Stores that I make the exception for are smaller boutiques like Victoire, White Elephant, Mejuri and US based stores like Everlane. When ordering from out of the country, I always look at the currency conversion (and usually that helps to deter me, since it hikes up the price so much).

Cash vs. Credit

There is something magically terrible about credit cards - it feels like your money isn’t actually leaving you. I find that when I’m making purchases with cash, I notice how much I’m spending so much more since I’m physically handing it over.

Treat Yourself

We all have those days - good or bad - that end in the feeling that we should treat ourselves! It could be that the day was rough or you just finished exams or you got promoted (woohoo!). I think treating yourself is a great idea - you should celebrate you! That being said, treating yourself doesn’t always mean buying clothes. You can celebrate with your favourite dinner, picking up some fresh flowers, a fancy swanky Starbucks drink or maybe booking a spa day.

Social Shopping

Sometimes when you're hanging out with friends and one person needs to pick up something or make a return, it turns into a shopping day. Just because one person is shopping doesn’t mean you are obliged to spend money too! You can totally enjoy the day and your friends company without coming out with a purchase.

Distractions

When I'm feeling sad or bored, I’ll occasionally find myself browsing online. It’s a thing I use to distract myself. I’m sure I’m not alone in doing this. I think the main way to combat shopping as a distraction is to find a better distraction. Doing a DIY craft, writing a journal entry or reading a book are great other options to distract yourself.

How is shopping for you right now? Are you overdoing it or being really good at keeping it minimal? Do you relate to any of these triggers? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers,

Christina