Kicking the Habit: Shopping

I know I am probably the only woman around that has a shopping addiction (*cough*), but if you perhaps absolutely love shopping and just can’t get yourself to pass on that so cute outfit or the too-good-to-pass up deal, you might want to read on.

As usual, I will preface with my own story…

When I was very pregnant and after I had my baby all I felt like doing was shopping. It didn’t matter what I was shopping for, I just wanted to get out of the house and shops gave me somewhere to go. I was shopping every day. I was spending a lot of money that we didn’t necessarily have. I wouldn’t spend a lot all at once. And I rarely paid full price for anything but groceries. But man, it added up fast!!! I knew I had a problem when I saw something soooo cute for a great price and JUST HAD TO HAVE IT!!!

Now, shopping isn’t one of those addictions you notice you have. At least not right away. Leave it to my husband to point it out…repeatedly! So, he cut me off. Not really, but he wanted to.

There was only one option for me. I had to quit shopping. Here’s how I did it…

1. Continued to shop. Haha – Grocery shopping only though. Like I said before, I like every kind of shopping. Even grocery shopping. This somehow gave me my fix. And when I had the urge to do more than grocery shop, I would look ahead to birthdays, weddings, showers, holidays, etc., coming up. If I was fixing for a good deal, I would go shopping for a gift we needed to get in the near future. I would shop until I found the perfect gift for the perfect price.

2. Think big. Think ahead to something big you would like to spend your money on. Something that you would never be able to afford if you kept up your shopping habit. This could mean an amazing trip, new appliances, maybe just something like a new couch. It could be anything really. For me, it is the prospect of buying our first house in another year or so. Every time I get the urge to buy that amazingly cute outfit (for me or baby) or the bookcase at Goodwill for an amazing price I think of getting a house. I know I can’t buy a house with what it would cost for a bookcase – that’s just silly. But it is never just a bookcase. Today it may be a bookcase, tomorrow, a cute outfit. The next day, a rug on clearance at Target. You get the picture. Over time, all that stuff adds up. Maybe just enough to save up enough money for a down payment.

3. Know your number. I never really knew how much all my shopping added up to until I kicked the habit. My bank has a program on online banking where it tracks what you are spending your money on. I scrolled through groceries and gas and dining out. That left me with my shopping and coffee shop bills (I will get to that another day). I couldn’t believe it!!! $300 that month! What did I buy to add up to $300?!?!? And that’s what got me. I couldn’t recall that much stuff. Most of the stuff left my mind as quickly as it entered my cart. I decided all those “good deals” were definitely NOT worth $300 looking back.

4. Don’t Give Up After a Slip-Up. I certainly haven’t been perfect since deciding to kick my shopping habit. I have had a moment of weakness here and there. But the important thing is I am keeping at it. Money not spent is money saved…Like my hubby says after I try to explain what a good deal I got, “You’re not saving money, you’re spending money!” Go figure.

I’m still a work in progress, but it feels pretty good to kick the habit 🙂

Love,
Macy