Be Kind to Your Later Self: 5 Surefire Ways to Make Shopping Guilt-Free

The bright lights, the big signs, the chance to get a deal, the chance to have something new & different in your home..on your body...on your kids' bodies...the list of clothing, home goods, and gadgets are endless.  It's a rush!  Then shopping bags settle, receipts clear and you re-group after the ultimate shopping experience you start to notice you may have purchased duplicates, you have clothes in your closet with the tags still on them that you forgot you had, and items by the door (for weeks) that need to be returned after buyer's remorse.  Well here are some ways to make your next shopping experience less than sinful.

Have a needs and a wants list

• Use Evernote, S Note, One Note, or a notepad (if you always keep it with you) to keep track
• Have a wishlist at your favorite stores (Amazon)
• Use Wishpot.com - a free wishlist service

Budget money each week to spend on yourself

• Use a prepaid card (I like AMEX bluebird, zero fees for most activities other pre-paid cards charge)
• Use the envelope system (when the money is gone it's gone)
• Open a bank account just for fun stuff & shopping
• You don't have to spend money on yourself on THINGS.  Get a massage, take a sushi making class, save it up for a really grand getaway, or better yet buy someone you care about a gift.  It really is better to give than to receive.

Set boundaries for items you purchase

• When you assign a certain area in your closet just for pants and then you notice you've run out of room in that area, or perhaps you don't have any more space on your dresser for another bottle of perfume,the magic pill is...you guess it: Stop buying more. The tendency is to just start another collection somewhere else and pretty soon starts the "I forgot I had that..." syndrome because we have too much stuff in too many places.  Chances are you aren't using all of the items and can stand to do a little purging. Which leads to #4.

Out with the old, unworn, can't fit, dusty & broken

• The one in one out rule is probably best (so is jogging 5 miles everyday but very few people can or want to) but you may have to crawl before you walk, try putting a time in your monthly calendar to go through items in drawers, closets, bookshelves.  If you do shopping on a weekly basis, make it a point to donate to the thrift store at least once a month.  I'm dropping things off at Goodwill at least bi-weekly and I could probably still stand to purge more often.  Things come into our lives at exponential rates, so we have to be cognizant of purging.
• Once you're down to your needs (and to make you feel better we'll use the word "needs" loosely) you can start to see the items you really don't have or need more of (or less of) and then shopping will be more purposeful and even more enjoyable because your guilt levels will be at an all time low when you get things you need versus "it was cute"/"it was on sale"/"I thought I needed another pair of black pants"

Avoid make shopping a recreational activity especially when you don't have a real need for anything

• We all need to unwind and some of us need therapy but avoid making retail therapy a habit. Try making girls night out an activity instead like: (wine and art, museum, going to the gym, a cool cooking class, or do that cool arts and crafts thing you wanted to try on Pinterest)
• We've all heard the proverb: "Idle hands is the devil's workshop" well guess where the devil goes with your idle credit cards and bank account? Shopping for recreational purposes can create havoc on your budget and your closet space.

Shopping can be fun but it can lead to a life full of things you don't need, you don't use, and you really didn't want.  Once you learn to set boundaries, buy what you really need and avoid unwarranted recreational shopping trips you can make the best use of your space, time, and money.