How I Learned to Curb Spending (and Therefore Clutter)
Action Steps to Help Curb a Shopping Habit
I read Tracy McCubbins book, Making Space for Happiness (linked here). It gives you a lot of insight into the ways marketing tricks you, as well as the affect shopping has on your brain.
I unfollowed the Instagram accounts that were causing me to constantly add to cart - like the Montessori toddler activities type accounts, and the clothing influencers. We had enough toys and activities, and I did not need the temptation to buy a new outfit.
I realized that the dopamine hit I got from shopping wore off a lot faster than the feeling I got when I decluttered a space. The peace in an uncluttered home is irreplaceable.
I unsubscribed from all shopping related emails. Goodbye Madewell, Jcrew, Target, Lululemon…
I avoid the dollar spot when I walk into Target (which is weekly or more these days buying product for clients).
I add items I think I want to my cart but don’t check out right away (sometimes I wait days). This way I can really think about if I need it, or if it was just a passing mood. I often never go back, to be honest.
I set my Instagram account to kick me off after 30 minutes. Yes, I can technically override that, and I do if I am in the middle of editing a reel for my business, or following a recipe I saved. But mostly, being off that app keeps me happier with what I have and less likely to feel I need to shop.
Before I buy something, I think about WHERE it will live in my home. This applies to clothing, as well as items for my kids, or even food from the store. Will it fit nicely, or will I need to squish things in the cabinet and therefore get stressed out by the visual clutter?
I practice one in, one out with my clothing. If I buy a new item, something needs to go to the donate bin in my closet. We live in less than 1400 square feet (with 4 people), and there is no extra room for more.
I avoid bulk buying for most things. Yes, if I but avocado oil at Costco, I save money, but I won’t use it before it goes rancid, and I have to find a place to store a big bottle (to eventually toss when it goes bad). The bottom line: If you are buying SO much to save money that it expires before you can use it, you have actually NOT saved money and instead have contributed to waste. The same goes for buying multiple packs of medicine or sunscreen, etc. through Amazon because its cheaper to buy several AND you get it next day. Most people will never use those items before they expire. So, again, you are contributing to waste and wasting money. AND you have to find a spot for all those extra items in your home. Odds are you shove them to the back of a closet or cabinet and forget they are there, inevitably buying it again.
Is there anything you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments!
