Should You Go On a Low-Buy?
The past few weeks have been interesting for me. I have really been taking inventory of my spending habits. I have been asking myself some hard questions and coming to some pretty deep realizations about what prompts me to shop in the first place. I am an emotional shopper. It took me awhile to figure this out but I’ve cracked it. When I am anxious, depressed or feeling not in control of what is happening in my life I shop. And I know that I am not alone or that rare of a specimen on this front. We have all done this at some point. Feeling down; buy a new dress. Feel better. Feeling sad; pick up a new lipstick. Feel better. And of course that rush of endorphins you feel when buying something new only lasts for a short while and then you’re back where you started. And so… I have decided to go on a low-buy for the next six months.
I have done “low-buys” before. Last summer I did one for a whole entire month (lol) where I was allowed to buy 3 makeup items a month only. But that was a half-assed low buy. I excluded all of the other things I spend money on. Clothing, skincare, eating out, etc. So I was still spending money - just not on makeup.
I have decided to give it a try for real this time. I wasn’t going to write this post originally as I am a believer that when you announce “goals” you can often take the weight out of them. But I also know that having a bit of accountability will be important to the success of this low buy for me. My criteria this time is more stringent. I am still allowed to buy 3 items a month. But this will include makeup, skincare, clothing, etc. For eating out I will only be allowing myself to do this twice week (and that includes work lunches). For my morning tea drink that I buy from the coffee shop in my office building I have set aside a specific amount of money in my budget to cover it. I don’t do well feeling deprived which is why I often fail at these kinds of things. I have to set perimeters where I still feel like I can enjoy things but have set limits. I have set my time frame for my low buy for six months with a re-evaluation at the six month mark.
My low buy will start on December 1st. Just in time for the holiday sales! LOL. I don’t celebrate Christmas, but I often use the excuse of all the sales as a reason to shop for myself. So while I don’t celebrate the holiday, come January, I often find myself in the same boat financially as everyone else who does. Which is just ridiculous.
This may seem like a funny thing to post right after posting my Holiday wish list. And I still want all those things. But will I buy them all? Probably not. I have already talked myself out of a few of them tbh. The point of this post isn’t to shame anyone for spending money. I am posting it for two reasons. My own accountability and also to maybe urge anyone who is reading this and can relate to maybe take steps to change their own spending habits. I like buying things and I don’t l know if that will ever change. BUT- I can change the way shopping exists within my life. I can take stock of my finances as well as how much stuff I am actually bringing into my life. I realize now that I’ve kind of been working my way up to this for awhile. With decluttering my wardrobe and seeing how much clothing I owned. With purchasing less fast fashion and shopping secondhand (or not at all). By decluttering my makeup and seeing how many things I never used or had only used a few times or that simply didn’t interest me anymore. My goal is to spend less money overall. And to put that money towards experiences (like travel) rather than things. I’m not going to lie - this is a bit scary for me. But I think it’s exactly what I need to do at this point in my life and will be a great challenge for me, that I can hopefully feel proud of at the end. I hope if you’re interested you join in with me!
Have you ever been on a low-buy before? What was your experience? Any tips? Let me know in the comments.
