The challenge seemed to go quickly at first, now it feels a little slower. Things I might buy if I could, right now:
- A gas regulator for my grill. It’s still having some issues.
- Stain for my house. I want to stain my bright orange bricks like I did in the back.
- Paint. For my house and for art. I don’t need much, but I would buy a few tubes here and there when they’re on sale.
- Camera remote. A remote shutter release for stop motion videos.
Okay, so the list isn’t very long. I don’t miss the mall, as a matter of fact, I can’t stand the mall. I don’t miss retail stores much either, although it would be nice to just go in there and simply buy something when needed. The no retail shopping takes work when you need some small little item, like for a house repair or for the kids school projects.
It does amaze me as to how many impulse buys I have made in the past. Stores merchandise well for impulse buys, end caps with stuff we don’t need, available in every color, toys strategically placed among necessities for the kids to see and every small item you might have forgotten at the checkout.
I can look around my house, and although the majority of things were on sale, I can pick out things that were impulse buys. Funny thing is, not much of it was impulse, however there’s a reason for that. Most of that stuff has gone to the resale shop and lives in someone else’s house now, or it’s in my garage.
I found another funny image from AdBusters…
How do we spend wisely and not fall into the impulse shopping? Ways to STOP SHOP:
- Wait 24 hours. If you see something you like at the store, wait 24 hours before buying it. If you really want it, you will remember it and go back to get it. I do this with my kids all the time. At least 50% of the time, they forget the stuff.
- Plan. If you want something and have been thinking about making a purchase, that’s probably not going to be an impulse buy. Weight the pros and cons, see if you have the money and plan the purchase.
- Retail therapy. If you participate in retail therapy, you’re probably spending more money than you would seeing a therapist. Trade off, but you accumulate more stuff.
- Get out. Get out of the mall and retail stores unless it’s a planned trip for something you need. Not only have I saved money on not buying stuff, but I saved on gas too. I probably get an extra week on a tank of gas.
Have a happy no shopping day!