I don’t quite know when it happened, but somewhere along the lines, Thanksgiving and Black Friday merged into Thankshopping. And, for the first time today, I decided to jump on the shopping bandwagon early — I’ve already purchased a new light fixture from West Elm and a ton of Clinique beauty from Saks Fifth Avenue. I actually only purchased items that I have been planning to buy so I did not break my budget for the month. Nonetheless, it was a little fun to know I was scoring a good deal and I think we all love to score a good deal every now and then.
I’ve found, however, that I need to be careful about the good deal because it can lead me to overspend! Hence, why I have a tried and true method to ensure I stay in line.
First and foremost, I make a list so I am not pulled away by the flashing “sale lights.” I identify all the things that I really want and compile them on one wishlist on my phone.
Next, I narrow that list down to no more than 5 must have items. I seek to eliminate items that I don’t need right now and limit it just to the items that (i) I love and (ii) I can wear right now. I think we can all have the urge to buy the leather jacket in the middle of summer just because it is on sale – I seek to resist that urge because if I buy that leather jacket now I won’t remember that when I’m buying a pair of leather pants in the middle of winter.
Third, I set a budget and price out how much I think each of those items will cost. I live my life by a strict budget and yet, I’m still able to shop!
Next, I start checking out the websites of my favorite stores. If possible, I recommend signing up for the e-mail list in advance so you can see the sales of your favorite retailers all in one place. It can help save you time so you can spend your holiday eating!
Finally, I ask myself whether I really even need to buy one more thing. In this consume, consume, consume world that we live in, it can be easy to think I need one more item, but very often, I do not need that item, I simply want it. It is a habit that I am trying to break and rather than just focusing on all the things I’m thankful for one day a year, I am trying to make gratefulness a part of my every day life. Hence why I’m working hard to ensure that I do not bring another item into my apartment without thinking critically about whether I need it.
With all that said, happy shopping for those of you that plan to spend the next few days shopping and happy eating for those of you that plan to spend the next few days eating!