Read This Before You Go Shopping

If you're:

• Feeling Bored

• Prepping for Spring/Summer wedding season

• Attempting to switch up your style

• About to be attending an event that just NEEDS the perfect outfit

You'll probably find yourself hitting the internet ... or maybe a real-life store to make a few purchases. Nothing wrong with that!!! I support it!!!!

BUT.....

We need to talk about what can go wrong before sending you off to battle....

Let's consider what you've worn the past week.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you reached for your favorite few pairs of jeans/pants just about each day that you ventured out into public. You probably wore your trusty long or short sleeve top, favorite work blouse, and a couple of sweaters that regularly make their rounds in your weekly rotation. Then of course, a few pairs of your go-to sweats and t shirts.

But wait.... you didn't reach for that random white and silver sheer sparkly button-up top you got for New Years of 2019. Also, that blouse with all those frills around the collar that kind of give George Washington vibes but you swore was in style when you bought it last year has still yet to see the light of day. Oh yeah, and those cheetah print kitten heels you picked up at TJ Maxx just to bring home and realize they cut open your feet in multiple different areas.... they're still in your closet because???

If this didn't at least partially resonate with you... I commend you greatly.

For those of you that are more like me in this department... I want to share how I've changed my mentality this past year.

First off- Purge your closet. Nothing feels worse than picking out your daily outfit and gliding over those random purchases that honestly just wasted your money. You're at the point where for whatever reason you know the item won't be worn, but you keep it around strictly because you feel bad about spending the money. Get it out of there and learn from it! It happens to the best of us.

Once you've gotten those pieces out, and you have some space, you're going to feel pretty good. Then... after some time has passed, you'll see that empty space as an open invitation to FILL IT. "I really don't have that many tops and spring is coming... Ugh and I really want those new sneakers I see all over my TikTok". This is the part where we have to work on changing our habits.

There is nothing wrong with spending your hard-earned money on something for yourself. But there is something wrong with not being intentional about your purchases. Ask yourself these few questions before you add the item to your virtual or actual cart:

1. Can I think of more than 6 real-life scenarios that I can comfortably wear this piece of clothing in the next few months.

2. Do I already own something similar to this piece at home, to the point where I will most likely reach for the piece I already own before this one? Sometimes I find that I love a certain look or color of a product that I gravitate towards buying something almost identical... just to get home and realize... that was a very silly thing to do.

3. How will this piece hold up after a couple of washes? If you can see that the material is cheap, and will shrink or start to wither quickly, save yourself from the two-wash wonder.

4. Do I already own pieces of clothing to go with this one? Will I need to buy a certain type of jeans or shoes to go with this top before I actually would wear it? This snowballs this into a much more expensive purchase. If you're aware of this and still down to buy it... then heck yeah!

5. Lastly and most importantly..... and I say this because I care... Do you actually want or need this... or are you just stressed the heck out? You know you're going to get that rush of dopamine the second you buy this piece... and you know you'll be hit with that buyer's remorse once you get home and give it a clearer minded thought.

Nobody wants to admit they stress-shop. But I will. And I'll tell you how I've helped myself cut down on the spending.

1. I stay BUSY! If you're visiting family, offering to babysit to give a family member or friend a night off, working on a side hustle to make some more cash, binging a new tv show, learning how to cook or crochet, or hitting the gym... you're less likely to feel inclined to shop. When I'm starting to feel that "well maybe I could use a new top or sneakers", I immediately book up my calendar. Of course, if you genuinely need new sneakers, by all means get them!

2. If I truly have a day that I have absolutely nothing to do, and I find myself wanting to shop, I've begun to gear that towards items I do need. If you have a birthday party for a friend coming up, and you were planning on just handing them a 20 in a card and calling it a day, use this time to get them a thoughtful gift. Make sure you budget yourself for that gift of course. Now, you're able to shop and relieve some stress, but the money is being put towards something you were already investing in. I'll be honest, most of the time it doesn't matter who the purchases are for... it's just the act of shopping that I enjoy.

3. Finally, I remind myself that it is okay to cave every once in a while. I just make sure that I ask myself the questions above before actually buying something! If I am going to buy something, I make sure it will be something that gets added to my weekly rotation or will be worn for multiple specific events.

Be kind to yourself. You're not a bad person for enjoying the art of shopping. You can still do it while being more intentional!