How many times have you caught yourself ruffling through a sales rack or a sales catalog saying “Oh my gosh, it’s on sale! I gotta have it!” Then after you purchased it in five different colors, you just stuff it in your closet “just in case” you ever need it? I plead guilty. But that was way before I discovered my number one rule to shopping. Before I spill the beans, let’s just delve in deeper to why you need this rule for things to work. And by things I mean saving, picking the right clothes, and being more satisfied with your shopping experience.
Impulse Buying and the 80/20 Theory
When you shop and see something that’s just “too cool to not have” or something you think you could totally rock but not on a regular basis, you are impulse buying. Do not impulse buy. Take a minute to think about it or even try it on. More than half of the time, you’ll find out that it looked better on the mannequin than it actually does on you (and I’m not trying to be mean, it’s happened to me before). Or sometimes, it’s just not your color….honestly when are you ever gonna wear that lime green super ruffled, super short, sequined couture dress with a sky high collar? Some outfits are just for the run way. Or for Cher. Anyway, when it comes to shopping and saving, the key is to fill your closet with just the things you KNOW you will wear. Like 80/20 shoes creator Ce Ce Chin discovered, people almost always wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. So why not put that closet space to use with the stuff you actually like to wear?
Resist from Super Trendy
Another reason to use my number one shopping rule is to save money. Ah yes, the mighty dollar. It sure isn’t as mighty nowadays as it was before. At least not in the U.S. There are a number of ways to stretch your dollar and still go out stylin. One way is to not buy that super trendy top in the crazy multi color design that costs twice as much as the other tops in the store. Or even if it’s on sale for 75% off. Why?? Because many super trendy clothes only last a couple of months or less than a season. After that, God knows when it will ever come back. Sure the 80’s are back, but they always come back a little different and you have to know when to stop wearing it. So not purchasing a short lived trendy top is a worthy sacrifice. Think about what you can be spending it on…gas, paying your bills, a great dinner with friends, a much needed hair cut, a much needed pedi, restocking your fridge, etc. My point here is to spend wisely. Why waste money on something that will just sit there in your closet when you can save or use it on something you can find satisfaction or enjoyment in.
Okay, so what is the damn rule already? Simple….if you don’t LOVE it….don’t buy it!! Simple as that. Well why not just say “if you don’t NEED it, don’t buy it”? Rephrasing it that way never works because when we ask ourselves if we need something, we tend to make up excuses like, “sure I need it…not now, but later.” And the good ol’ “just in case” excuse. So if we ask ourselves if we LOVE it, we always honestly know if we LOVE something or not. This has saved me ALOT of money and ALOT of closet space. You obviously can’t use this rule with food, haha.
To Rephrase…
Now another way to rephrase the rule is this: That cute bag (or top or whatever) is $__.__. But is it $__.__ cute?? Sounds silly, but this is what I mean: You go shopping and see a really great bag. Well take a look through the bag. Hmm, no outside pockets…I like the clip opening though. Look inside. Hmm, cheap lining, one zipper pocket. But the outside is cute. Now look at the price tag. It’s $30.00. Now $30.00 may not seem alot to other people, but with $30.00 you can buy about 3 cute tops at Forever 21, 30 Jumbo Jacks, two or three great pairs of shoes at Payless, or put in for your gas. I’m sorry, but yes that bag is cute….but it ain’t $30.00 cute, honey!
