Let’s face it. I shop. A lot. I love to shop, I love coupons, I love 40% off sales, I love trying clothes on. Just the entire experience= awesome. My love for shopping is nothing new, I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. I definitely came from a family of women who love shopping. My grandmother, my mom and I used to spend wonderful quality time together shopping and enjoyed finding beautiful things together. I still have such happy memories of how my grandmother’s beautiful face would light up when she found something she really loved.
I always justify my shopping by saying “I can afford it,” “I’ll wear this all the time,” “I’ll regret it if I don’t buy this,” and “this is such a good deal if I don’t get it now it will be back to full price and I’ll regret it.”
Excuses aside, I do fancy myself a good shopper. By that I mean that I buy on sale 90% of the time, I wait for the best deals and I don’t usually buy on impulse or buy something “just to buy something.” I’m pretty picky and particular about what I select. Not always, but most of the time. Sometimes I’ll return from a shopping trip with nothing at all, or just essentials that I had meant to pick up anyway (like nail polish I ran out of).
I pride myself on the deals I get. There’s definitely a sort of “rush” you get when you get something that’s on sale with an additional 40% off. Getting a $128 skirt for $40 feels amazing. Of course it does, especially if you really really (really) love it.
The thing is, once you get used to shopping being a hobby you really really (really) enjoy, you want to do it all the time. I only shop once a week and I don’t shop online very often (maybe 5% or less of my purchases are made online.) For some people, shopping once a week seems excessive—for people who love to shop, it might seem impressive to shop that infrequently. I’ve known women who wanted to shop so badly that they went over their lunch break or stopped by the drugstore to buy makeup they didn’t need, just to buy something. I feel fortunate that I don’t have urges that are quite so strong. Saturday is always my “shopping day” where I can check out the mall or other stores I’d like to visit.
There’s a lot of temptation when you’re a blogger—you see all of these fabulous outfits on a daily basis and it makes you want to buy them too—but I’m usually pretty good about that. If I absolutely LOVE something, I’ll make a note to try it on in the store (and maybe 1% of the time I’ll love it so much that I’ll order it online—but this is very rare.) Another forte of mine is that I really do wear 95% of everything that I buy (and sometimes I may wear something a little too much, like my lovely Micheal Kors sandals that I love.) It’s rare for me to buy something and never wear it. I usually sell it because the garment deserves to be worn by someone who loves it!
I’m also definitely no clothes-hoarder. I donate and sell my clothes regularly. I just can’t have a crammed closet. It’s stressful and makes it harder to get dressed in the morning.
So, what are my plans to shop smarter this year and how can you shop smarter too?
- Quality over quantity— this doesn’t mean I won’t ever shop at Forever 21 anymore (sacrilege!) but I’m going to try to be more thoughtful about everything I buy. I’ll admit that sometimes I go just a teeny bit overboard at Forever21 because it’s so easy and cheap to buy. The last few times I’ve gone, I’ve gotten 1 or 2 things or nothing at all. I’ve been doing well—truly only picking items that I absolutely love and know I will wear for a long time. I also want to focus on saving for amazing items instead of buying a lot of things that I won’t wear as often as how many times I’ll use my new Tory Burch bag, for example. That bag will be in my closet for a very, very long time.
- Continue to use coupons and buy on sale— stores like Express, Ann Taylor, LOFT and many others are always having sales and sending coupons. I will continue to diligently use coupons and shop during promotions so that I can save as much as possible. Always enter your email address every time they ask you for it when you shop, even if you’ve already given it to them— they send you more coupons if they know you shop more frequently.
- Closet inventory— how many black dresses do I have? It’s too embarrassing to discuss. I love them so very much that when I find a great one (whether it’s wear-to-work or evening) I simply can’t resist. By taking an inventory of your closet and seeing the things you currently own, you can better decide what you need and what is simply a want. Black dresses are indeed awesome, but I probably don’t need as many of them as I have (though I do wear them all). A yellow skirt on the other hand…now that’s something I don’t have!
- Closet cleanse— Cleanses are for closets, not for your body. As I mentioned above—donate and sell! You can’t possibly work your closet if you have clothes that don’t fit you anymore, are from 1989, are damaged or that you simply don’t like anymore. GET RID OF IT. I promise it’s oh-so-cleansing and makes it so much easier to get dressed in the morning. Just writing about a closet cleanse makes me want to do one. I think I will! (yes, there will be a blog sale soon!)
- Ask yourself 3 things: Do I LOVE it? Does it fit? Where/when will I wear this? If you can answer all of those questions with YES (I love it), YES (it fits) and next weekend, to the ballet (where/when will I wear it), you can buy it! If not, leave it— seriously, step away from the garment. Come back to it if you change your mind—but you most likely won’t! When Candice and I go shopping, we always remember the rule: do you LOVE it? If you hesitate even for a moment, it’s probably not meant to be.
…and, don’t forget to visit Gigi’s blog—she’s got an incredible entry on the topic and the comments section is just as much of an interesting read!
xoxo,
Veronika.
PS— Here’s my outfit of the day:
Sweater- White House, Black Market
Pants- Express Editors
Shoes- Aldo
Necklace- Forever 21
I think your personal posts have been great. Really well written. I'm not much of a shopper myself but I can still learn from your great tips.
Thanks!
my style changes up constantly so i hate to spend alot on clothes because chances are… i will get tired of it soon enough. however, classic pieces are well worth it like, a good coat, LBD, and good quality jeans. but tops, i always buy cheap. also, i try not to buy something just because it's a great deal. i used to make myself love a garment just because its a great deal but then i end up not even wearing it. great tips you gave!
Great post as usual my dear =) I would offer up a tip but…great minds (or shoppers) do think alike and I share many of your same philosophies. I only buy what I need or truly love, I clean out my closet on a very frequent basis to donate items I no longer wear, I use coupons as often as I can, I keep shopping lists and stick to them, and lastly…and this is only a recent thing…I save for special pieces, like jewelry or designer things that take some extra effort to acquire. Sometimes it is hard, because when I am having a rough week I tend to want to shop in order to self-soothe. But, it isn't a good idea and I usually regret it. I think it's important to shop with a plan!
@noelle— i'm trying to do that too (save for pricier items that i will have for years to come!) great call 🙂
If I'm being completely honest, I've gotta say that YOU motivate me NOT to shop! I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. Not just you, but all fashionistas, really. There's something about watching OTHER people spend money that makes me NOT want to spend any, and just horde, horde, horde.
I used to buy fairly indiscriminately – buying things that were a really good deal, even if I wasn't completely enamored with them. Especially 'staples,' but my habits have changed considerably in the past year of so.
Every so often, I'll open my closet and think 'WHO PICKED OUT ALL OF THESE CLOTHES!?!? I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!!' and want to go shop, shop, shop. But lately, I've been checking myself, and remembering the fact that I bought all these clothes, and the overwhelming majority of them are perfectly good. While I may WANT new clothes, there's really nothing that I NEED right now.
In fact, I recently decided that I have SO MANY nice clothes that I'm going to TRY to make it through all of 2011 without buying anything that I don't absolutely need. I'm not 100% committed to this idea, and if it turns out that I fall in love with something, I may make an exception, but as of now, I have no plans to shop (for clothes) anytime soon.
@alotta lettuce— good for you! i can't be on shopping bans because it makes me want to shop even more, but self-regulation is key 🙂 good for you for setting a goal and committing to it!
i TRY to follow those guidelines…but the one i have trouble with is buying what i love, when there is an amazing sale. i have ladies shopping trips similar to yours with my mom and aunt, who are master sale shoppers and they have turned me into such a sale junkie. i need to get better about only buying things i need or love.
black dress hoarder!! :o)
the first step is admitting it…
(jokes)
– booby
you know me booby—i'm the first to admit my flaws, especially that I have a compulsion for black dresses…and black clothes, in general. PS- I wore the "you know what" top the other day.
I'm working on only shopping for what I need. I have decided that if I bring something new in the house I need to get rid of something. I, too, like to buy things that are a really good deal. I am not asking myself do I really need this (like another cardigan with ruffles, 2 or 3 is enough!)
I also want to save for more nicer things and not buy so much at Forever and H&M!
I have to ask myself – am I buying this because it's a super good deal or because I actually love it? I'm so guilty of buying something because it's $7, not because I actually love it. If I saved up 3-4 of those purchases I could "splurge" on an item I really did love. I'm getting much better at this.
Right now I'm cleaning out my closet and selling items. I usually start locally and then move to Ebay, but have been contemplating a blog sale.
I totally agree with your F21 comments… I will never stop shopping there either, but I notice I throw things onto my armful of garments just because they're cute "and SO cheap!" Those are often items I rarely end up wearing.
And yes, closet cleansing is THE BEST!
I started myself on a new budget this year… $100 for shopping/fun/nails/happy hours with the girls a month! GAHHH it's hard, but so far I'm doing great! When your closet is so jam-packed, what do you really NEED, ya know?! 😉
Thanks for the tips!
Being in Tahoe, I don't have the luxury of shopping in person regularly (which has probably saved me a boat load!) but when I do find something online that I think I will L-O-V-E, I usually bookmark it and see if it goes down in price and then I'll consider it. Sometimes I miss out (it sells out) but I figure it's probably fate at that point. I appreciate your message and think it's important to step back and consider what you buy on a regular basis. But every now and then…just on the rare occasion…I think it's ok to splurge. Life is short, right? xo
Price is what has gotten me quite a bit in the past year. If something is a low, low price I sometimes feel I can't pass it up. I realize that's a trap, so I'm not giving into it anymore. Also, odds are that I already own something like it anyway. *lol*
Thanks for the link love.
Those are some great tips! I think you're a really great shopper and you find some really great pieces! I'm all over the board with my shopping, I'm trying to build my wardrobe to things I just really love and are versatile for either work/play or seasons, but sometimes it's hard. I shop a lot at Nordstroms, but not always name brands and I shop a lot of my trends at Target or F21.
For me, pieces that are worth the $$ are jewelry (ESP watches), purses, jeans and undies/bra/sexy stuff. But to each their own, each woman has what's worth it to them or what fits best with their lifestyle and needs.
I don't have any extra tips…mmmmm I find it best to sometimes wait to purchase an item if I'm not sure about it, but that sometimes backfires.
Great post! I used to buy things just because they were on sale and seemed to be such a good deal. Last time I was in Chicago (that's where I tend to go overboard with shopping, just because it's way cheaper than in Germany) visiting my sister I tried not to buy every single item I thought would be cute. I still ended with a full suitcase. But back home I wore almost every single piece I got, so I suppose that a bit smarter shopping:)
Now if I shop I just buy things I'm really in love with and know where and with what I'm going to wear them.
And closet cleansing is next on my to-do list! I also love when my closet is really clean and all the stuff is stored in a proper way otherwise I won't wear it and it's harder to for me to get dressed.
Thanks to your blog I started thinking over what and how to wear my clothes.
It always makes my day to read a post on your blog!
xx Olga
https://lapetiteolga.blogspot.com/
I honestly never understood when people would write things like 'I'm in love with your blog, you inspire me' etc etc. But I'm beginning to. Seriously, your blog is a-maz-zing. This post just tipped it. You are my favourite blogger. You write amazingly well and its truly touching how grounded you are and willing to share your personal tips and experiences. And its all really invaluable, honest and realistic advice, not just this post but all your others.
You need to get a book deal. No joke lol.
But thanks for giving it all away free in the mean time!
x
Love this post! You are adorable and a shopping smarty pants! I shop online a lot, so I use ebates to save some moolah. And I am definitely in need of a closet cleanse! Hope you have a lovely day!
XO
-Lauren
http://www.oliveandbleu.com
@diana— i accidentally deleted your comment on my iphone but here it is:
I tend to have a hard time shopping because I often will over analyze all those same little tips and tricks you mentioned focusing on when shopping. A lot of times I'm like, "Well if I just wait a little bit longer maybe it will go on sale for even less" or "Do I reeeeally need this, because it looks kind of sort of but not really all that similar to something I already own" and basically justify to myself why I SHOULDN'T buy something rather than why I should! I am a bad shopper in that I probably don't shop enough because I talk myself out of it!
I feel like I have so many of the same problems as you when it comes to compulsive shopping, but I'm trying to be better in 2011. One thing I've discovered that really helps is mint.com – it keeps track of your spending on all your cards, automatically sorts out your budget, and sends you an email once a week with how you did. Super easy and non-invasive, but still keeps budgeting at the forefront of my mind a little more. I think this helps because I don't realize how fast things add up on my debit card they way I would if it were cash.
Here's a great coupon site – http://www.retailmenot.com. This is a big group of users who post their codes to share. If I'm ever getting ready to visit the mall, I'm always looking here first for coupons. Yes, I am a compulsive shopper, typically once a week but on occasion I'll find myself run into TJ Maxx over a lunch break if I'm needing a break away from the mid-week routine. Love the blog!!!
@jen—thanks for the tip 🙂 I've used retailmenot before but I'm sure a lot of others haven't! 🙂
My feeling is that I'm not sure how you can shop smarter if you're going to the mall every Saturday. I understand it's your routine, it's your hobby but by not going to the mall so often, you're not seeing the goods and there's less temptation to buy that unecessary piece. Unless of course you spend that Saturday window shopping 😉
xjcx
it's hard for me to NOT shop too. sadly a lot of the time, my shopping is inspired by boredom, because it gives me something to do, coupled with the fact that i love clothes and buying stuff! i've really started to buckle down though. i've successfully set aside 3 trash bags for goodwill, and i'm picking up little tips here and there from lauren conrad's style book.
Great tips! I have a really hard time not shopping. I have only started the quality of quantity in the last year or so and I think I could be totally happy with a small closet full of quality and re-wearing things. My recent Tory Burch purchases (flats and purse) are my favorite things in my closet right now too!