I have always loved to shop. Whenever I wanted to relax or if I was bored, you could count on finding me at the closest mall. At this point, I am not sure if shopping was a habit or a skill- all I know is that I was good at it. I knew what stores, had what sales, on which days- and I enjoyed a good clearance section.
I acquired my keen eye for spotting a deal -a mile away -once I became a mother. Working my way through college, with a hungry infant on my hip, made finding sales a critical aspect of staying on budget each month.
So why did I abandon my newly acquired bargain hunting super power?
The answer is simple. I realized I wanted more time and freedom to live life, not collect stuff.
Once I calculated the amount of time I spent browsing for a bargain and looking for a deal, I realized I could be allocating that precious time to other aspects of my life. I wanted to make memories with my family not a house full of clutter.
Here is how I did it.
I stopped buying home decor. Spending valuable time and money buying vases, wall art, curtains and throw pillows became less intriguing once I realized I could use that money making memories on a trip to the beach or buying bikes for weekend adventures.
I took better care of what I had. With a new commitment to stop shopping came a new commitment to take better care of my current possessions. I started to hang my garments instead of drying them, I took the time to mend tears and snags in my blouses and I started rotating my shoes to decrease wear and tear.
Everything that glitters is not gold. I became content with my decision to stop shopping once I realized that the sales are never going to end. My impulse to shop completely stopped once I realized that the Christmas decorations will go on sale on December 26th this year and the year after that and -you guessed it – the year after that. It became clear that there is no need to buy ornaments that I don’t need, just because they are on sale.
These small changes have made a dramatic impact on my life. I am happier due to the fact that I don’t feel obligated to shop. Which eliminates an unspoken pressure to always have the newest and the latest. I have more time to spend with my family due to the fact that I am not roaming up and down the aisles looking for a bargain. And the best part is, our financial health is increasing due to the decrease swiping of the credit cards.
Other benefits include impulse control. Now that I have committed to a lifestyle of minimal shopping, my mindset has changed. I no longer look at a home as a place to be decorated but as a place to build a life and raise a family. I know longer desire my closet to burst with clothing I didn’t have time to wear and shoes that hurt my feet.
This is not to say that my new life choices don’t present challenges, as they do. Time to time, while I am purchasing new pants for my growing boy, I may wonder past the women’s section. A beautiful dress may catch my eye. I might consider how this dress is on sale and it wouldn’t hurt to add one more dress to my collection. But then I remember the commitment I made to myself and my family. At that point, one dress is not worth throwing away all my hard work.
Exceptions to the rule
Let’s be honest. I never said I will never buy anything ever again. I simply made a commitment to restricting my purchases. If all my shoes become unwearable, of course I will purchase a pair of shoes. What I will not do is head to the mall once a month a buy shoes just because they are on sale and I “might” need them one day.
Other exceptions are when items lose all functionality. For example, if the pillows on our bed stop supporting our heads at night while we sleep, then of course we will get new pillows. What we will not do id buy ten pillows because there is a buy one get one free sale.
Small changes can have dramatic affects on your life. If I can find the will power to stop using my addictive super power, I know you can do the same as well.
