Do you dream of finally stopping your shopping habit?
Sure, the easiest solution is to just stay out of stores, block those tempting online shopping sites, and—for us vintage souls—cancel all those charming print catalogs. But, let’s face it, quitting shopping isn’t as simple as it sounds. To truly stop buying stuff, you first need to understand why you buy and identify your personal shopping triggers. For me, it’s job stress and my never-ending quest for the perfect pair of black pants—you know, the magical ones that make you feel unstoppable and turn you into an instant supermodel (or at least in your imagination).
I’ve always proudly worn the badge of an emotional spender. My excuses are legendary: “Once I get this, I won’t need anything else,” or my favorite, “Buying a $40 lipstick is way more reasonable than splurging on a $400 purse!” Sound familiar? Trust me, the excuses list is endless.
One trick that keeps me sane (and my wallet intact) is making a clear list of wants, then ruthlessly categorizing them into “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” For instance, a good lipstick is absolutely essential for a confident office look. Does it need to cost $40? Absolutely not—$10 will do the trick. On the flip side, investing in comfy, well-made $15 panties is non-negotiable because nobody deserves the horror of cheap $2 underwear that transforms itself into a medieval torture device by noon.
Fortunately, I’ve found cooking and blogging to be delightful distractions that keep my shopping impulses at bay. And when temptation strikes too hard, a little bookstore browsing session followed by the thrill of finding that perfectly ripe piece of fruit at the grocery store usually does the trick. Remember that romantic scene in “The Godfather” when DeNiro brings home that exquisite pear? Yep, that’s the vibe I’m chasing.
To put my theory to the test, every time I catch myself longing for something, I jot it down in my notes app. Spoiler alert: the same items keep mysteriously reappearing. After another six months, I’ll revisit the list again to see if any of those “must-have” items are still must-haves—or if my future self just laughs at my past shopping desires.
The eleven things I’ve stopped buying
- Expensive Shampoo – Honestly, I don’t see much difference between a $20 designer brand or $5 drugstore brand. The $20 brand may have better shelf appeal since most of the price of the shampoo goes into marketing and packaging. I had a wake-up call when I picked up a trial size shampoo, and it cost $10! Update: I switched to a drugstore brand and the world is still turning and my hair is just fine!
- Dying my Hair – I’ve given up having my hair professionally colored every 3 months or so at the cost of over $150 each time. Update: Have never gone back, I love my grey streaks!
- Haircuts – Instead of getting my hair trimmed every couple of months, I now get my hair cut twice a year. Warning, you need the right hairstyle to exercise this option. A Long simple layered cut will work well, a pixie cut, or anything fussy or needing regular upkeep, not so much. Update: For the last few years I’ve had a simple Bob haircut and go to inexpensive salons, my haircut is actually very simple and chic.
- Pedicures & Manicures– I have an Amope Pedi-Perfect that I love, I started doing my pedicures myself at home now. Manicures at home are easy and cheap, even easier I only wear clear nail polish on my fingernails. Update: Mani-Pedi’s are a once a year beginning of Summer splurge.
- Clothes –I have enough. If I have a fashion emergency, I have an H & M gift card I’ll use. Update: No change, I spend very little on clothes these days, I keep some discounted gift cards handy for sales.
- Books – I love books, real books, I purchase 3 or 4 books a year so giving this up can save close to $100 a year. Update: I still purchase books, but now I buy used, and save so much money, I spend closer to $25 a year now.
- Magazines – I’ll visit the bookstore and do a bit of browsing instead.Many of the articles in magazines are also available for free online. Update: I won a free subscription to a magazine and will cancel when the year is up.
- Ikea Shopping– Recreational shopping is now a thing of the past. I have an unused $50 gift card if I find I need cheap batteries. Update: I used the gift card, but bought another one! Ikea is just too much fun.
- Starbucks – I have $30 left on a gift card, and this is all I’m allowed to spend at Starbucks for the remainder of the year. Update: People always give me Starbucks gift cards, so now I have about $60!
- Dinner & A Movie – I’ll wait for the movie to be released on Netflix and get takeout instead. No change here.
- Alcohol – I replaced my nightly glass or two of wine with water and lemon. It’s healthier, and I might lose a few pounds by the end of the year. Update: I have so much money and still rarely have wine and seriously I don’t miss it.
The late great comedian George Carlin starting me thinking about “stuff” when I first heard his comedy routine” A place for my stuff ” way back the 1980’s.
Here is an excerpt for you:
“All the little piles of stuff. And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn’t want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff. They never bother with that crap you’re saving. All they want is the shiny stuff. That’s what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get…more stuff! Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore….”
