How not to over shop

Are you having to rein in your shopping and having difficulty doing it? The allure of flashy and fashionable new garments can be way to enticing at times. Especially since the pandemic with the sense of boredom and need of stimulation it has become easier for us to buy more stuff despite us not having a need for them. We came up with some tools and strategies to not only help me consume differently, but also to think differently about what it means to consume, and to think differently about who I am and what makes me feel good.  So, if you want to stop buying clothes, or just to be more thoughtful about the way you consume, I hope you will read on and give these tips a try.

1.Make Yourself Wait a Week Before Buying   

We can all face the fact that most purchases are impulse purchases most of the time we have no necessity for them it usually has everything to do with instant gratification.

When you see something in a store or online that you absolutely need to have, make yourself wait one week before you actually buy it.

This is so basic but so incredibly effective. And since I started doing it, I’ve eliminated 90% of my clothing purchases, effortlessly. Why? Because, as I’ve learned, most of them are made in the heat of the moment, after seeing something in a store or online, usually on sale, and deciding suddenly, on the spot, that I really need it. By the time that seven-day waiting period is complete, I can assure you that in most cases, you will have completely forgotten about whatever it was you thought you needed, or simply won’t care about it anymore. Maybe you will still really want it, in which case, congratulations! Go buy it. Or at least return to the question of whether you need it or not in a more sober, detached state.

2. Before You Buy a New One, Get Rid of An Old One

Do you find yourself buying more and more new clothes, even though you already have more clothes than you could possibly wear out in the span of an ordinary human life? Try this:

Before you buy a new one, make yourself get rid of an old one.

Want to buy those beautiful new jeans? No problem. Just show me which old pair you’re willing to get rid of to make space for them in your closet and life. Need new sneakers? Cool! Pass me the pair you have honestly worn out and are ready to part with. Welcome to the “One In, One Out” rule. It’s been a very useful tool in my life, not only to stop myself from accumulating way more stuff than I can enjoy, by making myself donate something before I can buy a new one. This approach is especially nice because it keeps your overall amount of stuff the same. And if you try it for a while, you’ll notice that it gets harder to find old things that you’re willing to part with, and easier to just keep and appreciate what you already have.

3. Still Really Need to Shop? Then Thrift It Up.

Okay, so you have implemented my first two brilliant strategies and effectively stopped needlessly buying new clothes. You realize you don’t really need more stuff, but part of you misses the actual act of going out and browsing in stores, trying things on and experiencing the excitement of a great find. No problem.

If you need to go shopping, go shopping at thrift stores.

Buying used clothes is more environmentally sustainable and more enjoyable, as well as way more affordable, than buying cheap new clothes that, for the most part, aren’t designed to last. It is truly responsible consumption.

Thrifting also makes for a far more interesting shopping experience. You don’t go to a thrift store with a specific thing in mind that you’re looking for. Instead, you engage in a process of discovery: you go and explore and sift through the racks and see what you find. Sometimes you don’t find anything, and sometimes you find something incredible and unexpected.

4. Wear Everything Once Before Repeating.

Having realized that I tend to favor what I bought most recently, or the same few pieces that I know make me feel great, I started forcing myself to share my love more equitably amongst all my clothes by wearing everything I own once before wearing anything a second time.

It sounds weird, and like it has nothing to do with shopping, but it works. How? By encouraging you to use and appreciate everything in your closet. And crucially, to understand to really feel how many clothes you actually own. Teaser… It’s more than you think.