Shopping for me used to be a comfort. When I was feeling low I would shop. When life was overwhelming I would shop, and I would shop whenever I was bored. Then one day, for reasons unexplained, I decided to kick shopping to the curb for a year. Really. From April 1, 2013-April 1, 2014 I participated in a No Shopping Challenge. It was an illuminating, fascinating experiment in learning about self-control and self-awareness. And, I saved $4,000 by eliminating shopping from my daily life. This week has been a little stressful and I was feeling a bit down. And, in an effort to combat that feeling, I decided to look for a “win” and saving $18,000 in the past 4 years by kicking my shopping habit to the curb is a pretty big deal. How on earth did I do it?
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Eliminating Shopping
Was never the long-term goal. Initially, I just wanted to set a goal and achieve it. The blog was called “The Shop My Closet Project” at the time and I thought it made sense to shop my closet and use what I had. I wasn’t sure if I would actually achieve my goal-but, I thought it was important to try…so, I did.
Each time I felt the urge to buy something new, walk over to the mall, or window shop, I tried to note why I felt the urge to go shopping it. Here is what I found out:
- Loneliness-There were a number of times when I wanted to go shopping because I was fighting boredom. Even though I enjoy my own company, for some reason I would have the urge to be around people. Even people that I didn’t know.
- Boredom-There were moments when watching a good t.v. show wasn’t enough. Or, it was too dark to go for a walk outside. Instead of reading a book (which I love) I would take a detour to one of my favorite stores.
- Habit-Shopping became a habit. Similar to putting shoes on. I would roll into the stores with a credit limit and no plan. Needless to say, I found a way to spend money that wasn’t mine.
And, with each trip I would shovel myself deeper and deeper into debt. At the end of the challenge I discovered that I was spending around $4,000 a year on clothes…in Colorado…the fashion mecca of the West. Not.
$4,000
For some people $4,000 is a handbag. But, for me and Tiffany Haddish, $4,000 dollars is a big deal. As I worked through eliminating debt and spending from my monthly budget. It was painful to think about all how much I was spending beyond what I was earning. Painful.
And, 4 years later, here is what my clothing spending looks like:
- 2014 (After the challenge ended)-Maybe $300
- 2015-$500 (ish)
- 2016-$100 I earned a ridiculous amount of ThredUp credit that year. I did buy clothes, but they were free.
- 2017-$500
When you look at these numbers and consider that I was spending $4,000 a year on average-this is a huge amount of money saved. I used that money towards working for myself and paying off other debts. If you use imperfect math I’ve saved around $18,000 by eliminating shopping from may spending habits.
Now
I’m amazed at how much my life has changed-particularly my spending habits. I have no interest in spending money and now I’m unapologetically interested in making ridiculously interested in making more money. It’s amazing to me that I spent so many years spending money and now I’m mentally focused on doing the complete opposite. Life is interesting.
Money Hungry Manifesto
I decided to work on and share my Money Manifesto. I’m unapologetic about wanting to make a lot of money. Wanting to be debt free, and helping others change their lives as well. What’s your money manifesto?
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Great post! It’s so easy to fall into the shopping habit. A No-Shopping Challenge is a great idea!
It was a bad habit!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
is true sometimes we do shopping for loneliness or because we are irritated for something, but when you understand the difference between need and want is a plus and when you notice how many money saved you are proud of you, so well done!!!
I was really shocked by how much I was doing this. I’m really focusing on health and wellness and paying attention to the signs!
Ahh I need to do this!
We have a one-year-old who gets antsy so I find myself going out to shop A LOT…because let’s be honest, carts are great for keeping babies occupied, and I earned a treat, right? 😂
It’s not as hard to do as you think. It was really shocking to me to discover some of my spending triggers though.