
I’m sure if you follow me on Instagram and saw my stories over the weekend, you’ll know exactly why this post has come about.
Aaron and I decided to have a day date of shopping on Saturday which we don’t do too often. You might find it odd that we call it that, but we’ll pick somewhere a bit further away to where we live, have a laugh in the car (the A421 is a bit of a no man’s land road without signal so there’s nobody scrolling through their phone while the other is driving), get lost on the way there (Milton Keynes is a roundabout haven which looks the same everywhere you go), we wander around the shops, have a spot of lunch and give each other the knowing eye when we’re aware each of us has gone over budget – now that is love my friends.
I went out with the intention of picking up a foundation and maybe a pair of jeans from Topshop (the Jamie jeans I have at the moment are a little bit too short for winter and I need some I can tuck into my boots), but ended up with; two jumpers, a skirt, a pair of trousers, a pair of jeans, a top, a foundation and a lipstick. Now that’s pretty excessive and I’m here to talk about why I can’t seem to control myself when I go out to the shops instead of shopping online.
Quite frankly, I’m the kind of person that sees something and immediately thinks; I NEED IT NOW! It’s almost like my savvy spending habits go out the window when I’m face to face with something I like, or I forget about all of the things I need to have. I don’t often go out of control when I’m out shopping but stick me in a huge shopping centre and it’s likely that’ll happen.
My brain seems to believe it’s the time to go wild, pick up a Mac Velvet Teddy as mines dangerously low, grab that grey knit jumper (as the others I already have simply wont do), seek out something that I need to buy – it’s almost as if I can’t fathom not being able to miss a bargain.
It’s one thing I think is wrong with not only me, but our entire generation. Fast fashion has warped our minds into thinking we need to get something now before it’s out of stock again next week; it’s what brands count on when they put out their stock!
That’s not to say I regret any of my purchases (although I could probably survive without the tartan print trousers 😉) but it has made me reflect on my spending habits and what I can do to change them.
On this particular trip I spent just over £200 – that’s pretty excessive for me and I am 100% sure I’m going to regret that at the end of the month. But what can I do to remind myself that the card I’m plugging into the reader has actual money on it, rather than an endless supply of pounds?
I think I’m going to have to take it old school and draw out some cash before heading to the high street – seeing the money deplete before your eyes has got to be the answer.
Let me know whether you’re a spendaholic when you’re out shopping and whether you have any tips for curbing your spending habits. Also make sure to share this post if you enjoyed it and think you might know someone that will relate!
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You know I actually think I’m the other way around!! I’m much more careful in person because I KNOW just how impulsive I’ve been in the past. I don’t tend to pick up a lot in person because I like to think about my purchases before I make them and I think “if tomorrow I still want this thing, I can always get it online!” And if I’ve already forgotten about it the next day, then I definitely didn’t want it that badly. I’m much worse with impulse buys online as my attitude is that I can easily post it back for free (on most sites) and with minimal hassle if it doesn’t look good..
Alice Xx
Haha!! I used to be that way but I’m a lot more controlled with online shopping (probably because that was much worse than my IRL shopping problem 😂). Go you for having the control! 😂❤️
When I was at university, with little money, I was very much a ‘I NEED IT NOW’ fashion person – I would endlessly trawl through Topshop’s ‘New In’ page, I believe every Thursday looking for a new outfit to showcase each week 🙈😂 it was just a habit I couldn’t break! Plus, moving from a small town to a big city – it was easier to experiment and be drawn in by huge shop windows, which were always impeccably dressed.
As I’ve got older, yes, I do still like to trawl the ‘New In’ section and I’m obsessed with the latest trends – however, I like to take my time now, do my research across multiple sites before I impulsively buy. This has helped save pennies to say the least – if I could write a letter to my 21 year old self! However, I do occasionally like the sneaky treat! 🙊
Rebecca x
If only we all could write to our 21 year old selves! I’d tell her to save everything for a house, although I’m sure she’d tell me to do one 😂 I’ve never really been one to look through the new in sections, I love the sales 😉😂
Oh my goodness I am so SO bad for this! I literally pick up everything I think I need and 9 times out of 10 I DO NOT NEED IT! It’s actually a problem haha.. I tend to online shop these days as I find I spend way less money that way xo
Char | http://www.charslittleblog.co.uk
SAME! I find myself in control when I’m online, but stick me in a shop and I’m well away 😂😂❤️