Memorial Day. In present day (and for as long as I can remember), in addition to paying respects to our loved ones, it has also been the unofficial start to Summer…aka shopping season.

SHOPPING SEASON?  

You heard me.

And you know who else knows that?  All of the retailers. Yes.They.Do.  So how can you navigate the start of summer without tanking your bank account?  

TIPS TO NAVIGATE TEMPTATION

#1. Take stock of what’s in your closet and I mean REALLY take inventory.

Did you know that women only wear about 20% of the clothes in their closet?  What the eff. YUP. Think about it. You most likely wear the same grouping of clothes over and over until you get tired of them right? I’m the same way. I love jeans. And in my shopping days, I would come home from Ross so proud of the new jeans I scored for $20 only to discover that I actually already had them. The Exact.Same.Pair.  This happened more than once. So...know what is in your closet. Odds are, you already have something similar to what you have your eye on. (READ HERE FOR MORE CLOSET TIPS)

#2. Know your style and your staples

Have you ever purchased something because it seemed so cute in that hot minute and then a month later you can’t believe you ever bought it? No? Oh COME ON!  It’s easy to get wrapped up in the style of the moment, even if you know it doesn’t look good on you. This practice is not only hard on your bank account, it can be hard on your emotions.  Trying to make something work that just doesn’t work...well, it is emotionally exhausting and, frankly, can wear down your self-confidence.

When you know your personal style and what works for you, it eliminates A LOT of unnecessary purchases.  Couple this with having a list of staples that you KNOW you use all of the time, you are setting yourself up for better habits around your shopping that shift from ‘want’ to ‘need’. Click here to download my list of closet essentials.

#3. Look at magazines and get creative.

WHAT!? Bri, I can’t look at magazines, I’ll go shopping!  Woah...calm down. Let’s change that habit shall we? During my first year of no shopping, I kept my subscription to InStyle magazine. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but I was DETERMINED to stick to the no shopping. So...I had that going for me. You know what happened?  It became this amazing vessel to spark creativity. I began looking at the outfits and then saying, “Okay, what do I have in my closet to recreate this look?”  It was challenging and fun and I STILL do it. Shifting how you respond to triggers, that is helping you shift your habits.

Listen friend, you have all the power! When you know what is in your closet, and you like it and you can find it, you lessen that that itch to go shopping.  

I’m not here to tell you to not shop (unless you are in the 90 Day No Shopping Challenge!), but I am here to help you create healthy spending habits.  BECAUSE, usually that shirt isn’t worth all of the stress it is going to cause later down the road. And less stress means a healthier you.