Five Ways We Justify Needless Shopping

Hey all! It’s #fiveonfriday! Where I join up with some lady bloggers and we each share a list of five things. Everyone is different, so make sure to check out their links at the bottom of the post.

I’m a recovering frivolous shopper. Since I’m trying to empty my home of needless items that I’ve acquired over the years I have swirling flashbacks of the hours I spent shopping for entertainment. Shopping for things I didn’t need, maybe didn’t really love, with money I didn’t have.

When I started my capsule wardrobe, I went on a hiatus from clothes shopping….it wasn’t always pretty.

There were points I had to verbally tell my feet to walk away from a few sales I thought were too good to be true. (If you were wondering who that tired-looking woman aggressively muttering about the perfect plaid shirt to hide oatmeal stains at a price that just won’t quit, it was me).

The hiatus gave me space to analyze my shopping habits and build new ones. It has also give me some self awareness on all the ways I used to justify buying so much! The same cardigan in four colours….and another infinity scarf. Can’t have too many scarves, they hide oatmeal stains!

FIVE WAYS WE JUSTIFY NEEDLESS SHOPPING

1. Rounding down

You always round down. If you paid 78.99 for it, you will tell everyone it was only like $70! Though, once you pay over 79.00 then you have to commit to saying you paid $80. You will need to resort to reasons 2-5 to justify your needless shopping.

2. You paid less

If your friend paid even one dollar more for the same or similar item, make sure to point out your victorious savings. You don’t have to be exact, just noting that ‘so and so bought one and paid more’ is sufficient justification. You can walk away haughty with your shopping ways you sly frugal siren!

3. It was on sale

It doesn’t matter if you needed it, you wanted it and you got it for a deal. I once bought a wheel of brie for half off. My best friend exclaimed ‘you are basically making money!’. She is both correct and has permanently solidified her standing as my BFF.

4. It was BOGO

Well I went in for runners, but it was buy one get one half-off and I didn’t want to waste the deal when I could also get these boots (cause I totally need these boots, my ones from last winter are totally falling apart, totally) for half price. Or you could skip the explanation and split the total cost in half and outline how cheap each pair of shoes really was. Not only are you savvy, you are a mathematical genius, whiz. You are like the Mike Ross of BOGOs.

5. It’s gonna last me

You can justify most elaborate or costly purchases by breaking it down to number of uses or seasons that it can be used for. Oh this jacket? Well it’s for summer but I can add a light sweater underneath and wear it in fall and spring too. So really it’s a three in one. This is actually a really good reason to invest in something…..only if you need it (I’m looking at you, wedges. Sure I love you but I look like a wounded giraffe when I wear you and chase my kids around the park making sure they don’t eat gum off the picnic table).

BONUS FOR THE MAMAS. It is for the children

When you can’t shop for yourself it is just as much fun to shop vicariously for your kids. The ‘it’s for the children’ card is a dirty play because a parent should always want more for their kids, even when they don’t need it.