Curbing my temptation to shop: How I’m dampening my enthusiasm

Aside from the fact that every time I think: I want……, my net worth graph flashes before my eyes and the temptation (for the most part) fades away.

THE WINDOW SHOPPING WHILE ON ERRANDS = $140 SAVED

Just the other day, I needed to mail a letter and pick up something small at a drugstore.

I was just about to spend $5.20 on a round trip to go downtown, even though there was a post office about 3 blocks away that I could easily walk to and back for free 😉

What my subconscious REALLY wanted, was to go downtown under the guise of mailing this letter so that I could also window shop and see what was new in the stores.

Tsk tsk.

(Also, my subconscious had seen this really nice white blazer as I was strolling through the mall the other day.)

Standing there in the snow, I had a flash of my goals for the month, and I decided I would not give in to temptation, and I walked to that post office, where I ONLY mailed that letter, squashed a few more temptations in the aisle, and only bought the ONE THING I needed.

Saved $3 buying it too 😉

What I would have spent had I not stopped myself:

• $5.20 = Bus tickets for a round trip
• 3 hours which includes travel & window shopping
• $50 – $100 on whatever caught my eye, or WORSE! 😐
• $35+ at Sephora…

Total Potential Damage: $140

You get the idea.

(Okay, let’s be honest.. $200 on whatever catches my eye. So I saved myself $ 240 then :P)

Instead, I spent a grand total of $12, which I would have had to spend anyway, sending a registered letter and buying some envelopes at the dollar store nearby.

*pats self on back*

THE HAIRCUT = $80 SAVED

I’m also doing things like thinking about how long I can let my haircut go for (coming up on its 5th month), and whether or not I should really spend money on a haircut or not.

I booked the appointment and budgeted $80 because it had been 5 months already, and I thought I needed a trim.

Then I cancelled the appointment and saved myself $80.

Why? Because I don’t really need a haircut.

I washed my hair the other day and realized it looks just as good as it is, in fact it looks like I just got a trim.

Who says you need to trim your hair every 3-6 months!?

I don’t blow dry, style, dye or do anything to my hair, so I can go longer, like every 9 – 12 months in between haircuts.

Update: And now? I cut my own hair and it looks awesome, thankyouverymuch.

Just look at my awesome bedhair I woke up with one morning below:

THE SUIT = $300 SAVED

The very nice and just-nice-enough $300 size 6 suits I had, simply did not fit perfectly any more.

I am a size 2/4 now, and the jacket still looks all right because I have broad shoulders, but the pants are VERY loose around the waist, like triumphant-weight-loss commercial loose.

I was thinking of budgeting for a new suit, but I ended up just belting it tighter and trying to smooth out the excess, belted fabric evenly around my waist.

Voila. $300 saved.

Then I went to a tailor later, took in the skirt and pants, and for $100, I have a new suit.

Why NOT invest in a suit?

It’s because I rarely .. okay scratch that, I NEVER EVER wear suits to work.

I’ve never had to work in a formal business environment, and therefore, my suits only get dusted off for the once-every-3-years-or-longer interviews.

Therefore, why spend $300 on one day? They probably don’t care that much.. and if they did, they might feel sorry enough to give me more money to buy a better suit next time 😛

(It’s like when you watch those wedding shows and girls want to spend $10,000 on a custom-made designer wedding gown for one day. Why?!? :P)

I would rather spend that money on a practical pair of mid-calf boots to wear under my trouser suits in colder weather — it’d be warmer than wearing heels, and the pants won’t catch under as your foot slides out of your heels when you’re climbing stairs.

AND MANY MORE!

This has been happening more often than before.

I’m exercising my willpower.

For anything that is not a necessity for my life, all I have to do is think about my net worth goals for the year, and realize that the money is better spent being saved and/or invested rather than spent on yet ANOTHER dress I don’t really need.

I’d rather spend it on traveling and high quality pieces.

 OTHER WAYS TO CRUSH SHOPPING TEMPTATION

1. Don’t buy anything for 72 hours. Wait on it. — I just want it more when I can’t have it…
2. Give yourself a budget (har har) :), or at least like I do, stare at your budget constantly to remind yourself
3. Let yourself buy ONE thing a month, not 10 things
4. Don’t even go into any shops to be tempted in any way — this works best on me
5. Don’t go online and unsubscribe from all mailing lists
6. Buy a bunch of things, get the rush, and return it once you come back to reality — Terrible I know, but effective….
7. Make your chosen items duel it out between in-store and your closet items at home — I LOVE THIS dueling concept 🙂

Each time I think: OOOO!, then my net worth chart comes to mind, and I struggle to not even put myself in the position of being near a store to see ANYTHING that would catch my eye.

If I don’t see it, I can’t want it… right?

RIGHT!? 🙂 Right.