Are you feeling like your monthly income is disappearing each month? You can quickly spend too much money online or in stores on items that you don’t need. This can make it difficult to save your money.
You can live more efficiently and eliminate clutter from your home by looking at your lifestyle and identifying what needs to be changed.
Continue reading to find out why you should be more deliberate about shopping and to get tips for being more mindful about your spending.
Why not be more intentional when shopping?
Shopping requires resources. Shopping takes time and money. Sometimes shopping can lead to clutter.
Let’s look at ways to shop more efficiently to save time and money and avoid clutter.
Time
People shop online for pleasure, and it has become a hobby. Online shopping is becoming more popular than brick-and-mortar shops. While teens still shop in brick-and-mortar stores, they spend more time online shopping. Some stores have been forced to close.
While girlfriends still meet up to shop, many prefer online shopping. Shopping takes women almost twice the time than socializing every day.
A survey from 2011 found that women spend, on average, 399 hours shopping each year. The popularity of online shopping has increased in recent years, and the numbers may be higher.
We cannot have more time. Your life is determined by how you spend it. You can spend more time shopping if you want to make more money. You don’t have to shop just for the fun of it. Instead, look into other life-giving activities.
Money
Our money goes to shopping, whether window-shopping or browsing the internet. Let’s take a look at the way people spend money on clothes.
These statistics show how much ordinary people spend on clothing. (credit-donkey)
The dress costs $161 per month for 25-34 year-olds.
Clothing costs $209 per month for 35-44 year-olds.
Women spend $1000-$2500 to dress up their closets.
73% of women update 25% every three months.
Around 15% of women only have clothes for up to five years.
Over 50% of women claim that 25% of their wardrobe is unworn.
More than half of women’s shoes are unworn.
It’s not only women who are spending a lot. The average American adult spends $1497 per month on non-essential items. That’s roughly $18,000 per year ( source).
We find that 26% of adults don’t have any savings for emergencies, and 36% do not save for retirement. The United States has 38 million households that live from paycheck to paycheck. (credit-donkey)
You can save money by shopping more thoughtfully. People spend too much on unnecessary things, which can then become cluttered.
Clutter
It’s incredible to see how much clothing people spend each year. You can learn to be more deliberate about shopping and stop spending money on new clothes to toss the old ones.
We must not be in a throwaway culture that buys unnecessary items.
Homes have become more significant to accommodate all the stuff that people are buying and owning. While families are generally smaller, houses are almost twice as large as 100 years ago.
Even if that isn’t enough, self-storage units are rising—9.4% of those renting a space rent one. A unit costs an average of $88.85 monthly. (SpareFoot)
People often spend a lot to purchase and store things. Fifty-four percent of respondents claim they are overwhelmed by clutter and don’t know how to deal with it. (Cision)
Shopping: How to be more deliberate
Spending too much time shopping for and purchasing items is a good use of money. Many of these items become clutter, and people feel overwhelmed. Here are six tips to help you be more mindful when shopping.
Keep to your list
Before you shop, take the time to consider what you need and want. Make sure you know your budget and be specific about what you want. Refrain from settling for less than the best. Refrain from paying for good enough.
Pay attention to marketing and advertising techniques. Avoid impulse purchases at the check-out line or online. Keep to the list you have made ahead of time.
Only shop with a plan.
Do it with a friend if you like wandering through stores. Don’t buy anything. Make a plan before you purchase anything. Only buy if you find it tempting to shop. Instead, choose another hobby or activity.
While avoiding shopping in a physical store is easy, online shopping can be more challenging. How many impulse and mindless purchases have been made through Amazon is incredible. It is so easy and quick to order online that it takes more effort for you to shop with intention.
Online shopping should only be done when you are energized and energized. When my daughter was a baby, I bought too many products and was exhausted. I would buy anything that promised better sleep. They didn’t work, and I spent a lot of money. Friends don’t let friends sleep shop.
Only make purchases once you are ready.
It would help to wait at least one day before buying an item you like. It is easy to get distracted by hype and scarcity tactics.
You can decide whether to buy the product by taking your time. Marketers understand human psychology and can place products in a way that makes impulse purchases. They won’t let you down.
Make a budget
You should create a budget if you don’t have one. You will be more deliberate about shopping if you know how much you have spent on each category. You won’t be able to determine if the item is within your budget.
While setting up your budget may take some time, it is worth it. To track my spending, I use YNAB. Many people need to learn where their money goes each month. You can make better financial decisions by tracking your spending.
Be cautious about sales.
Sales can be very tempting if you like me and love to save money wherever possible. It is easy to get caught up in the amount of money being “saved” and not see the value of it.
Based on my experience, many items with tags still attached or in their original boxes are donated.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you will use or even need it.
Avoid buying it just because it is cheap. You’ll waste the price of the sale. You still need to get the discount. You’ve also increased your clutter. You just bought cheap chaos.
You can also get retailers to sell additional products. It’s okay if you don’t require or want two pairs of pants. To get free shipping, you should buy something other than extra items.
You are paying for clutter. Advertisers shouldn’t convince you otherwise.
Limit advertising messages
Unsubscribe if you are not interested in receiving sales emails or catalogs. You should unfollIttwould help to unfollow using products you don’t like. You can be more deliberate about shopping if you control your email and social media messages.
It takes the intention to live more straightforward in cons more straightforwardly true. It is essential to helpessentialldren live simpler lives.
Questions to ask yourself
These are the questions you should ask yourself before you shop or buy anything. These questions will help you decide if you should purchase or not.
What purchase my options?
Sometimes we forget to ask the need to remember questions. But we must ask ourselves: Can I afford it? It’s easy to believe that something is affordable with payment plans.
People believe they can afford homes and cars because the monthly payments are within areas. People only sometimes consider all the possible outcomes in these situations.
Sometimes expenses happen unexpectedly. You want your monthly payments to be manageable so that you can pay for everything.
If you have enough money and the item was specifically designated for your use, it is possible to afford it. You can’t dip into your vacation or emergency funds to purchase a designer purse.
Choose to Live Below Your Means and have a lot more fun in your life.
What will this do for my life?
Many products are good at playing games. Many products convince us that our lives will improve if we purchase what they sell. While I have only found a few products which have simplified my life, I have owned many others that did not.
When making a purchase, be realistic. Is this item compatible with your goals? It sounds too good to be true. It’s something you have wanted for a while or something the marketing convinced you needed.
It doesn’t make you a better cook, exercise machine, or a course in something you are interested in learning. It would help to put in the effort, work, and discipline to get results.
Refrain from believing anyone who claims they can solve your problem quickly or easily. A plan will take more than 30 days to build a million-dollar company. It’s impossible to believe that something can be done in 30 days.
Some of these items seem too good to be true when cleaning your home. As you go along, you will learn what works and doesn’t for you.
Seeing the things you love and making mistakes in your purchases is possible. You might be happier with the items you already have.
Wants vs. needs
Our culture tends to have a misguided view of what we need and want. Adults often echo the same sentiments as four-year-olds who claim they need a new toy. You won’t likely need the latest iPhone.
Most people have more than they need. Everyone should not have everything they need. You can own items if they are essential to you and meaningful. Be thoughtful about what you buy and intelligent with your money.
You don’t need to live more simply if you want to live more simpler. You can do what is best for your life and circumstances. Find the simplicity that suits you best.
You can save money by simplifying what you buy and giving more to charity. When your finances are in order, it’s easier for you to give generously.
Why should I shop?
Do you feel lonely, sad, or unworthy of shopping? What do you believe about yourself? And what would buy things do for you?
There are better ways to handle life’s frustrations and disappointments. You won’t feel better if you buy a new outfit. While it may temporarily improve your mood, it is not the solution. Shopping can worsen your problems by making you feel guilty for not spending enough money.
You can opt out of retail therapy. Instead, call a friend, read, walk, or visit a therapist. Shopping is not the best option for your health.
Who would this be for?
You might be a gift-giver if you shop because you enjoy shopping. It doesn’t necessarily mean that someone will want it in their home.
Many great gift ideas are clutter-free. Making gift-giving a part of your love language will be more complicated than gift-giving. Gifts that keep the home of the receiver neat are great.
Focus on making memories as you learn to be more intentional about shopping.
Black Friday, Prime Day, and Big Sales
I won’t tell you not to shop on big sales days. I wouldn’t say I like the Black Friday frenzy, so I don’t shop on those days. But you can do what works best for you.
As you consider what to buy, use the six tips above. Before you leave the house or click on order, think through your plan.
Sales can help you stretch your dollar even further if the items are already purchased. I love saving money as long as it doesn’t take too long. My life has been a struggle to balance simplicity and frugality.
Shopping can be made more efficient by being aware of the deals and avoiding them. The first step to simplifying your shopping is to become more aware of your shopping habits and what to do about them.
Keep up-to-date with the latest Simplicity Habit information. Register below to receive the 8 Quick Decluttering wins checklist!