Shopping the Sales & Money Management

So as much as I love a good sale or discount on clothing items or accessories, I feel like that in itself can spiral into its own addiction of sorts. My parents have always been pretty mindful when it comes to saving money and a couple of those habits have rubbed off onto me, but when it comes to this topic in general, I feel like those penny-pinching methods can become outdated as time goes on.

Now If you’re someone who doesn’t like spending money on something that’s full priced, that’s totally fine. I love shopping for things that are discounted or on sale, but I don’t want that mindset/habit to dictate how I manage my money 24/7. We all deserve to treat ourselves every once in a while, and if I take the time to do my research first before splurging on something nice, then I’ll know that the item I’m purchasing will be something l’ll enjoy for years.

Shopping for me used to be an addiction of sorts, especially when it came to accessories in particular. Every time I went into stores like Forever 21, Charlotte Russe or Charming Charlie, the first place I’d run to is the handbags. My collection back then was in an almost constant state of change as I would wear one for a couple months then toss it because I had grown bored with it. When you add those clearance deals or store-wide sales to the mix, you can pretty much imagine how easily swept up I would get into buying those purses because not only were they cute, but they were also on sale. This is where I started moving into an addictive mindset with my shopping habits because while there's obviously nothing wrong with buying things on sale, there is a problem if every discounted item you buy doesn't stay in your home for very long or if all those little purchases accumulate over time. For example, I used to have 20-25 handbags as a teenager (this includes wallets as well) and every time I was ready to declutter, I wasn't very mindful with why I was decluttering those items to begin with. I was just shopping, using them for 2-3 months, and then discarding them out of boredom. Not only did this create a lot of waste, but it also proved to me that I wasn't being all that mindful with my shopping habits. I'm grateful that most of what I bought back then was fairly cheap instead of expensive because by then, I would have gotten into trouble.

One thing I’ve learned with this topic in particular and how it ties into minimalism is that if you cut down on purchases that don’t benefit your own personal lifestyle, you’ll have more money saved up that you can use on other things that will add more value. A lot of what I’ve learned from my parents does still apply to me, but I’m trying to branch out a little more every now and then. It’s all about balance really, so as long as you stay true to your budget and not go overboard with your spending habits, you’ll be in good hands.