Shopping Fast Challenge-Less Is More!

Could you go without shopping for a month??

What about 2 months?

I challenge you to a shopping fast.

Guess how much time women spend shopping each year?

a. 500 hours

b. 199 hours

c. 600 hours

d. 399 hours

(answer to come)

Let me first explain myself.  About 10 years ago I was noticing I was spending a lot of money on a lot of items I really didn’t need but I had to have.  I decided to have a garage sale at my house and I noticed that all those must have items were selling for a couple of bucks.  This really got to me.  The more I thought about it it made me sick to my stomach.  So I decided to do a shopping fast and not buy anything I absolutly didn’t need for a month.  I realized that I saved a ton of money and that most of the kitsch that I was buying just cluttered my home and ended up in a garage sale 2 years later.  I also realized stuff really doesn’t matter and that less is more.

 What is your vice?

Mine is home decor and clothes.

HOME DECOR

I really wanted these gold sun bursts from Z Gallerie.  I decided to wait a month and make sure I really wanted them.   Sure enough when I went back to the store they were on sale and I paid half the price. Good things come to those who wait. Why pay full price for anything?

 Wait a month and if you still love it, buy it.

CLOTHING

Do you have clothes in your closet and the tag is still on them?

This is why I decided I need to go on a clothes shopping fast for a month.  I don’t need any new clothes.

  It’s easier if you don’t hang out at the mall or clothing stores.

 It was actually nice not wanting anything or thinking I had to have everything I saw.    I actually had time to organize my closet, and my children’s closets, and see what we really needed to buy.  When my clothing fast came to an end we mostly needed socks and underwear.

 Don’t be afraid to ask family members for hand-me-downs.

 I asked my sisters all the time for their daughters’ old clothes.  They both have one daughter each and I have 3 girls.  We all take very good care of our clothes so a lot of them look new.  It was so nice of them to always share with me and and it saved me a lot of money.   Now I  have returned the favor and given all my daughters clothes to my niece.   I realized not everything had to be new and perfect.

Ok, now it’s your turn.  I challenge you to a fast of your choice.

Shopping Fast Rules

1.Pick one item that you can’t stop buying.

2. Don’t buy the item you have chosen for 1-2 months.

3. Don’t go crazy when the fast is over.  Shop in moderation.

If you took the test above the correct answer was d.

In 2010, Styleite came out with an article and it said, if a women lives to the age of 63 she will have spent 25,184 hours and 53 minutes buying things.  399 hours a year.  95 hours is towards buying food and 170 dedicated to buying clothes. The remainder is for shoes and accessories.

 I read on Web MD that shopping can be a problem when you start spending over your budget and you get into financial debt. Or, you start to buy compulsively. For example you need one pair of shoes and you come out with 10.

TIP: Most compulsive shoppers shop alone so try to go with your friends.  It is true, if I go shopping with friends, I spend less.  And it is more fun!

I am not saying shopping is a bad thing. I LOVE to shop.  I try to shop in moderation and only purchase  stuff when I really need it.

 You don’t have to start your shopping fast with big ticket items.  Small things add up too.

BOOKS

I am in a monthly book club and the books can add up.  Try to get the book from your local library.  You don’t have to purchase every book if you don’t need to.

NAIL POLISH 

How many shades of red nail polish do I really need?  Nail polish is one of my girls favorite things to buy.  This would be a good item not to buy for a couple of months.  I don’t think I am going to run out anytime soon.

LOTIONS 

I once went to a friends house and she had a whole closet of lotions and potions.  She loved buying them and giving them away as gifts.  They are the best gift but it’s ok to stop at a shelf full and not a whole closet.

This challenge is not meant to be a punishment.  It is just a reminder to slow down and really find out what you need and don’t need.  Try not to keep up with what others have.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Set a good example for your children.  If you want less… so will they.

Will you be joining me this month on my shopping fast challenge?