Ever since I started making my own paycheques, shopping has been my main outlet of stress. (Followed closely by junk food). Since I’ve hit a transitional point in my career, I’ve had to really mind my budget. Here’s how I’ve been getting a grip on stress shopping.
Sleep on it
Be right back, taking a stress nap….
Okay, on serious note, the best thing I’ve found that I can do is not making purchases right away. It’s highly difficult to do when stress shopping is about instant gratification! When you wait a certain period of time before buying something, it becomes clear whether or not it’s something you really want or a passing fancy. You can narrow down a list of 20 things you want in the moment to 5 things you really need in your life.
Plus, a sale might come up in the meantime!
Don’t buy things just for the sale
Speaking of sales…they can be both your best friend and also the devil. Whenever I’m at a mall, I find so many things I’m tempted to buy because of a sale. You may feel like you’re getting an amazing deal right now, but ultimately, you’re still spending money.
Of course, it’s okay to occasionally indulge in something nice that catches your eye. But it’s important to be able to put something down and walk away.
Walking away from a sale now doesn’t mean that you’re never going to get as good of a deal again.
Commit to a no-buy if you need
When my makeup hoarding started to get out of control, that’s when I knew I needed to get a grip on my shopping. I mentioned in my New Years resolutions post that I committed to a no-buy for 6 months. I have just about one more month to go!
The no-buy has been immensely helpful. It taught me how to resist temptation and to discern wants from necessities.
At first, the no-buy was painful and I was counting down until it was over. But eventually, I stopped feeling the same urge to hoard beauty products that I used to.
Big change can come from small habits
After I cut myself off from buying beauty products, my attention shifted to better quality clothing, and then books. I’m still spending money, but not nearly as much as I would’ve before. Clothes that last longer and insight from reading would be much more valuable for me than another eyeshadow palette. And instead of watching hours of makeup videos, I began to educate myself more on effective skincare.
I didn’t stray far beauty. After all, I couldn’t completely cut something I love out of my life. But these new habits I built are much more healthy.
Are you also a stress shopper like me? When did it get bad for you, and what do you do to keep it in check?
Hugs and kisses
~ Jin
You can also find me on my personal blog
Life Outside of Design Studio 
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