There’s only a couple days left in my No Spend Challenge for the month of May and I have to admit, I caved and made an impulse purchase this past weekend! I got sucked in by a sale sign at the store and bought a purse (though you’d be proud when you hear that it was originally over $50 dollars, but I got it for $16). Never mind that though, the point is I didn’t really need it, but I bought it anyway. I justified it by telling myself it was a great sale and smaller than my current bags, since I’m trying to downsize what I carry with me everyday. Like I mentioned in the last post, I’m a planner and always like to be prepared, but that leads to a really heavy bag.
This was also after I picked up many other sale items in the store and decided to put it back because I knew it wasn’t necessary. It just goes to show that what you tell yourself makes a huge impact on the decisions you make. I need to remember to not try to justify unnecessary purchases unless it’s actually needed. Remind yourself that you don’t need it, that it’s less money on your bill when you check out at the register, and that you don’t need any more clutter. Whatever it takes to get you to put that item back on the shelf and walk away. Reprogram that little voice in your head to tell you not to spend, rather than justifying purchases instead.
Honestly, the best option to help combat this is to only visit the store aisles containing things you need. Have you ever seen those people in the grocery store that just seem to be on a mission? They’re not slowly browsing through the store looking at every item on the shelf. No, they’re fast walking straight to what they need and then on to the next, rushing past you as you stroll. That’s what we need to do. Go to the store armed with your shopping list and avoid aisle browsing. I’ve been guilty of it. I’ll go down every aisle just to see if there’s anything on sale or maybe something will catch my eye that I think I need, but this contributes to straying from your shopping list and picking up items you don’t really need. Not to mention it takes you a lot longer to get out of the store. Instead of taking the long route to the checkout at the register, I’ll take the shortest route I can find and only focus on getting to the checkout counter. Turn your shopping trip into a mission, see how quickly you can get through your list and out of the store. Whatever motivates you to be the most efficient shopper you can be. Your budget will thank you.
May is almost over! I’ll be wrapping up the no spend challenge in a couple of days. Check back for the last update!
