But I Need a New Dress
The holidays are upon us, and while I can’t wait to taste all things pumpkin spice and sing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs, there’s one part of the holiday season I’d like to skip. Shopping.
Between holiday traveling, family photos and Christmas parties, there’s plenty of excuses to splurge on some new items for your closet. To make matters worse, your gift-giving for others gives you a legitimate excuse to be at the mall. It’s a real recipe for disaster.
Here are some simple tips that you can use, this holiday season and beyond.
Take an Inventory
Each season, spend a little time in your closet getting things organized. Get rid of what you don’t wear or don’t like, either by selling on resale websites or giving to a charitable organization. Once you’ve got your closet pared down to what you still like and wear, make two lists for the upcoming season:
Things you are allowed to buy
Things you are NOT allowed to buy
Limit your list for things you are allowed to buy to no more than 5 items. For example, you might actually need a trendy new pair of boots or a new blazer to update your wardrobe. By limiting the list to 5 items, you will really be forced to think about what you really want to buy.
Be honest with yourself about what you are NOT allowed to buy. While black leggings and tunic tops are certainly wardrobe staples, you’ve probably got enough of each to get you through another few months. Decide what items you are overloaded on and make a commitment not to buy more.
Create Some Friction
In case you’ve forgotten your fifth grade science lessons, friction is a force that resists motion. It’s used to slow things down and even change direction. When applied to your spending and shopping habits, friction can be a powerful ally. Add some friction to your shopping experience by creating some simple rules for yourself.
Defend the purchase to yourself by asking some tough questions.
Too often, we shop on impulse, never stopping to even think about how a particular item will fit into our current wardrobe or home decor. We end up with closets full of clothing but nothing to wear. End the cycle of mindless shopping by asking the following questions before making a purchase:
- Does this item make me happy?
- Why does it make me happy?
- Is the happiness I feel from this item more than the happiness I would feel knowing I was contributing to another goal?
- Does the item fit well or complement my home decor well?
- Is this item unique or special, or could I find something just as good for less money?
- How many times will I realistically wear or use it? Calculate the cost per wear/use and decide if it would be worth paying that amount each time.
If you aren’t willing to go through the process of answering these questions, you don’t want the item badly enough. If you answer all the questions above and still want to purchase the item, then move on to the next rule.
Separate your shopping and buying by 3 or more days – the longer the better.
When you see something you want to buy and you’ve defended the purchase to yourself, give yourself permission to mull it over for a few days. Create a waiting period of 3-5 days between seeing something you want to buy and actually buying it. If you still want the item, and it still passes your defense questions, then buy it and enjoy it. But the chances are good that if the item isn’t really something you need, you won’t even remember it. Same rules apply online. It’s amazing how many times I’ll add something to my cart on Amazon and log back in a week later to find I can no longer remember why I even wanted it.
Remember that ultimately you are in control of what you buy, whether it’s during the holidays or any other time of year. Only make purchases that further your goals and add to you joy. Anything else is a waste.