u/sammiefh

Hey everyone. I have a pair of flipflops from my favorite brand. They’re so comfy but they are two years old and they’re starting to look a little rough. Suddenly I’ve been seeing other colors of them and I’m craving new ones. Especially this specific blue pair. And I’d also want a pair of more neutral, beige ones. But the thing is, this is completely unnecessary. Summer’s almost over where I live. I’m trying to tell myself I could get them next season instead but what if the blue ones won’t be there? This sucks.

Can someone please help me realize I don’t need new flipflops when the summer season’s almost over.

I feel like my spending habits are getting better but mentally I’m still very obsessed with thinking about and wanting new things. I’ve finally managed to start tracking my spendings and have actually done so for the whole summer! That has helped in making better financial decisions which is great, but my mind still feels very cluttered and not much calmer.

So I’m going to journal about this and write down a few sentences everytime I get an urge, to see if it could help me. If I see some sort of a pattern or if it could just help seeing how often I actually think about it because I started today and it has already happened twice + wrote down an urge I had yesterday. So that’s three times in less than 24 hours. I think this might be good and make me more aware.

Have you or are you journaling anything? Has it helped?

I’ve for the first time in my life managed to actually track all my spendings for the past six months and then continuing to keep up with how I’m spending my money. Which is great and a huge step in the right direction. I could also finally make a realistic budget for last month and see how it went as well. It went okay, I did overspend but not crazy so that felt good to see!

However, it has not solved my issue of constantly thinking about stuff and wanting new things. Not that I thought it would, but I think I need to remind myself that my bigger issue is actually how time and energy consuming it is to constantly be thinking about things rather than me spending extreme amounts of money. Yes, I spend more than I would like but that’s not the biggest problem for me. And I really did need to add some basics like plain t-shirts to my wardrobe which I now have and I feel guilty (even though I don’t really have to since I bought like four, well thought through pieces, which is something I think I need to reflect on more) and I just think it’s time.

I needed to make a few purchases which I now have and now it’s time to go on a no buy again. I’ve been on a few previously, my longest was a six month long one which I learned so much from and was so good but I really need to go on one again because I can’t stop thinking about, looking at and wanting things. I think I’ll just start today and do the rest of august. I was originally planning on doing one in like october because I have a few things I need and planned on buying next month (some more long sleeved tops for fall and winter and a new pair of boots), but I think it’s better that I just budget and plan for those purchases and stay on a no buy besides that, rather than letting myself roam free until october.

So I’m going to try and remember my why, which is more about getting rid of this constant noise consisting of ”needing” and wanting a million things. Just wanted to get this off my chest. Now it’s time to take a break from shopping.

Everytime I manage to stop myself from impulse buying it feels like a long exhale. Not in the moment, but afterwards. The rush that comes with thinking about this new thing and you think YES! This will make perfect sense in my life and it’s on SALE! So I need it and I need it now. And then being able to stop myself in time and saying, hey, is that really true? Do you really need this item, right now? Or is it maybe more of a want and a craving? And I’m not saying I’ll never buy this. It might be a good item but just not now.

This time it was a backpack. I recently bought a new one that I love but it is on the bigger side so it’s more of a weekend trip/sleepover at a friend’s house type of bag rather than an everyday bag. I’m super happy with it, because my old one was truly old (around six years I think) and both too small for shorter trips and also not comfortable. But I have thought about it being a bit too big for everyday use and have sort of wanted a smaller one for that purpose. And of course. Instagram shows me the perfect add for a brand I like and they have a sale and there’s a perfect bag in the perfect size with the perfect prize. My mind starts racing, should I order this? I look at the sale and see it ends today.

And then I leave the website for a bit, write it down on my wishlist and go make some coffee and then the clearity hits. I don’t need this right now. I really don’t. Because I don’t even use a backpack everyday. Not at all. Maybe sometimes and I have done it more in the past but the way my life looks right I don’t use a backpack everyday. I use my sling bag or tote bag. Those are my everyday bags. Not a backpack. Was it, in a way, something I’ve been looking for? Yeah. And would I probably use this? Yeah, but not a lot. So I decided, okay. I found this item that I like. I’ll remember it and if my life changes and I suddenly find myself actually needing a smaller everyday backpack then I could revisit this item and buy it, with or without the sale.

And now I feel really proud of myself.

There’s been moments before in my life where I’ve thought I might be with a woman for the first time but it hasn’t happened. But now I think it really will. There’s this woman I’ve talked to and hung out with back and forth for quite a while, we’ve made out and she’s made it clear she wants to sleep with me. I’ve been a bit too nervous before but now I’ve decided I want to, and we talked a little about preferences as well which made me feel a bit better. I think it will really happen this time. Would love some words of encouragement for someone who’s very nervous.

Hey guys! This isn’t a unique idea or anything but I started putting away around 10 dollars (ish translated value) for everytime I don’t impulse buy something. I’m thinking either when I reach 100 dollars or the following month, I’m allowed to spend it on something I want. I’ve already put away 30 dollars in the last week lol but that’s good! I’m not impulse buying. Anyone else do something similar?

Building a wardrobe takes time. You’ve always said this. It takes several years. Of curating, figuring out your style and being able to afford new things. Remember that now, too. You are building it. Right now. But you’re not some rich celebrity who can afford to buy every single new thing they feel like buying. You’re not. You’re a regular person who has a limited amount of money that cannot all go to shopping. Please try and remember that. You’ve already gotten a bunch of new, cool stuff that you love this year. Maybe it’s time to slow down. Appreciate those things, before you go buy even more stuff. Even if it might be stuff you’ll use and love too. It can wait. Take a deep breath, let it out. Let go.

Hey guys. I’ve been doing pretty well. Not buying any skincare at all, using up my stuff instead, felt good about that. Being very mindful with purchases and only made very few, reasonable purchases (like new jeans after thinking it through and waiting, I struggle finding jeans that ever fit me and I only have two so it felt worth it) but just now I fell for an instagram ad. There’s a specific underwear brand I’ve been wanting to buy stuff from for a really long time. I’ve looked at there website before and now I just couldn’t help myself when I saw their stuff was on sale. I even found an extra coupon for the sale so it got so cheap. But it feels so dumb. I don’t need new underwear, that’s just a want. And now I’m a little scared that the sizing might even be off (always hard to know with sizing beforehand). I feel stupid. This was really just a craving, not an actual need. Is it nice with fresh new underwear, and is it something I’ll use? Of course. But was it a really stupid and unnecessary purchase? Yes. Dammit.

Saw a video on youtube discussing this and it felt really good listening to so I thought we could do the same here! And I suppose for winter, if there are any australians here.

Things I’m not buying this summer:

1. Shorts: I have both short shorts and some nice mi

d

1. length jorts which I am both very happy with

2. Flip flops: I have a pink pair that are super comfortable and I absolutely love

3. Water bottle: I have one that I bought last year and I love it so much, no need for a new one

4. Sunglasses: I have two pairs, one’s my mom’s old vintage ones and then a regular pair, love both

There might be more but those things I’m absolutely certain I won’t be buying any more of. How about you guys? :D

Hey everyone. I’m not doing very well mentally at the moment but I still want to, for my sake and to maybe give someone else some hope, share that atleast my shopping addiction is getting a little better. Life really, really hurts right now and it’s not going well at all. But I am doing better with this and getting better at saying no to myself.

Today I was picking up a package at a store and looked at a few sale items. Things that would’ve actually been fine if I bought since they are reasonable things; a new tank top and jeans. My tank top is getting old and I need a new one so I tried this one but the fit wasn’t perfect so it felt very good that I tried it and didn’t buy it. I then tried a pair of jeans that fit rather well but they had this loose thread and the store was closing pretty soon. I have very long legs so I often struggle finding jeans that are tall enough but these actually were and I don’t own a lot of jeans at all, only two pairs. I went to look for another pair without the loose thread but didn’t find any and just decided that, you know what, I’m not completely sure if I want these anyways, let’s just not buy them today. So I didn’t! Even though they were on sale and I might have even liked them. I can always go back and try them on again and see if I really want them. And if they run out of my size, it’s not the end of the world.

Been struggling a long time back and forth with shopping addiction and it’s always been mainly clothes and skincare and this past year it’s been skincare. Right now I’m on a sort of loose no buy, atleast when it comes to skincare. I have a strict policy of not buying any new skincare in june and probably july as well. I’m hoping I won’t even need any replacements and am trying to use up my stuff. And it feels really good! I’ve finished a shampoo, two body creams and one body wash so far and am pretty close to finishing a lip mask as well (so unnecessary, won’t buy that again). It just feels good to use things up instead of constantly buying new and having a bunch of half finished products. Good for my wallet and the planet!

Was in a store to buy a birthday card for a friend and suddenly I see this really cute t-shirt. It’s pretty cheap and would probably fit me well. I think okay, maybe I’ll just try it on and see if it fits and then I’ll buy it. Waited in line to try it but then I got tired of waiting and thought okay should I just buy it and try it at home? And then I decided NO. You shouldn’t buy it at all. I might come back for it at another time but this is not what I’m here for. So I didn’t buy it and only got the card. Felt really good!

It’s a small thing but I’m trying to remember this feeling and keep doing this. I always overspend when grocery shopping. I always keep a list but everytime I manage to come home with more things than I planned on. But this time I only bought the things on my list! It was a short list and I kept to it. And it feels really good. I’m going to keep doing this. I overspend in most categories and groceries are definitely always an issue. Do you guys overspend grocery shopping?

It’s a small win but I had to order some medicine and a hand cream because I am dealing with eczema. If this was a normal purchase I would’ve ordered probably five other things as well, just random stuff, for example I wanted to buy a foot cream as mine is close to running out and there was a deal so I would’ve gotten 25% if I bought it with the hand cream. As if I don’t have literally two other foot creams I need to use up. My argument is that this cream is better since it has a high amount of urea. I’ve used this other cream with urea for a while and it has already helped so I don’t need it. It’s better that I use up my other products first. Also wanted to buy a different hand cream just because.

But I didn’t! I said no and only ordered what I actually needed. Didn’t get the discount but also saved the money from the extra product I would’ve bought. Small win but I feel proud.

I honestly feel so embarrassed, it’s been a back and forth for me since like 2020. Sure it’s been better at times but then I always fall back, I’m so tired of myself. Like I’ve dealt with this shit over five years. Where are you guys in your recovery? How long have you dealt with a shopping addiction?