Reformed shopaholic? please can you give me the benefit of your advice

CompletelyLost

Ooh did we get included in Martin's weekly newsletter? Looks like it :D

Ninnins

Polly wrote: »

I really reined in my spending a month ago and tho I don't have something to say every day, I do read this thread most days. All of the thoughts and ideas have really helped me and although this is the 14th of the month, I still have enough salary left to see me through til payday on 25th. This might not sound remarkable but it's the first time in a very long time so to all of you contributors, a big thank you from me (and loads like me) that are watching and learning from your experiences :T

Great stuff Polly, I also find that reading the comments on here helps to refocus the mind!:)

Ninnins

jinny wrote: »

Just found this thread and busy looking through it. Well Im more of a binge shopper than a shopperholic I can restrain myself for a while then have a sod it moment and go to town and spend on stuff I dont really need. My mum was a shopperholic and so i think I am like both her and dad who used to quote her the words that are in my signature. I do try to say these to my self when I get these shopping urges. I find if I stay away from town and do a big declutter It helps to calm me as well. perhaps seeing all that STUFF i dont need does it.

The relief when I read your words! I thought I was insane ... binge shopping then decluttering in order to feel calm ... you are so right about confronting all the STUFF. I have just filled my hallway to the brim with STUFF mainly clothes that I have been buying since November - I have a sick nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach to think that this has all meant that I am that much further from being debt free. And to think that some of these items I wanted so desperately that I had sleepless nights over them! And now they will be gone in a second in a boot sale for pennies - sick, sick, sick. But looking at the mountain of clothes - after all, all clothes just end up as landfill no matter what designer label they started out with - it has made me realise how little wear I have got out of them before decided I didn't like them or they were not me, or not comfortable. Some things I have bought in double and triple (and more). This has certainly made me think about what I will be doing in the future.:(

LadyV1983

Hi Ladies, Sorry I haven't been around much, had a terrible couple of weeks, split up with my boyfriend and although we're back together now (only just) I think it's the beginning of the end... :embarasse

I'm not really sure how I've done spends wise, I don't think too badly overall, as I've had a few NSD's mostly because I couldn't get out of bed, I've not bought any new clothes, the only thing I've spent money on is food and that has been my downfall as I've been too fed-up to eat so had to buy myself something really nice to force myself to eat, so your looking at about £5 a time. :mad:

I did manage to take back £51 worth of clothes and because I'm no-longer going away for our one year anniversary I've saved myself £93 in hotel costs this month.

So I now have £94 to last me the rest of the month and I haven't dipped into my paypal or surveys money or the little bit I've been saving in my 'Virtual Sealed Pot'

I hope all you lovely ladies are doing well, I'm going to have a read through all your posts now...

Polly

Oh LadyV I'm so sorry to hear you're so sad. You're great to try to see the positive side of things but it's not easy. We spend when we're 'up' but we're also much more likely to spend when we're 'down' so hang in there and hopefully things will get better for you. You'll be in my thoughts

NGlady

CompletelyLost wrote: »

Ooh did we get included in Martin's weekly newsletter? Looks like it :D

Oh wow we're all famous Shall reply to all the posts today later had a very MSD today, went town with my dad whilst we had the car indepdently Mot'ed and ended up buying us both a snack whilst we waited so £3.45 however didn't pay bus fare AND we're not going out tonight now so cheap day woohoo

jinny

Yes Ninnins tis only STUFF isnt it. I love your comment about how it all goes to landfill in the end Primark or Prada. I watched Sport Relief not so long ago about children working in sweat shops in the third world made me feel like a big fat western capitalist and was very ashamed. Some very young asian girls were making lipstick cases for some very high profile companies and I reconized the gold cases. The programe said the girls were runaways and could end up on the streets abused if they didnt have this work but surely these companies should plough money into education and a better standard of living. Iim going to thin kof where my STUFF comes from in future.

Ninnins

I agree with you on that one, we should all be more aware of what and how we buy - I have been trying to buy ethically but this has not helped my finances one jot, as I feel better about spending loads as it's ethically sound spending!

Souk08

Hey all, just back from the folks so no spends for the last two days and Mum treated me to a good few bits in Primarni which is fab. Between that and all the clothes I had under the bed from working overseas i wont need much for the summer now. Hope you are all well and chin up Lady V.

we_shop_therefore_we_are

NGlady wrote: »

Hi thats so awful Have you perhaps looked on Ebay? Only, you may be able to pick up a fairly priced alternative on there which could be a lot more suitable than a £5 as I presume at £5 it isnt even real silver so you wouldnt be able to wear it all the time.

Thanks NGlady - hadn't thought of eBay, but it's worth a try.

I've got a work presentation to do for Friday and I'm not looking forward to it but it's quite topical because it's sort of on the ethical shopping idea that has been talked about on here today.

Basically it's about how a lot of companies nowadays link up with a charity - so like Tesco doing their computers/books for schools thing and Avon saying if you buy their lipstick they'll give 5% of the price to breast cancer charities etc.

What do you think about these sort of things? I think it's good if companies support charities but ultimately I'll only buy the product if I want it - like if it was washing powder and one was giving 10p or something to Red Nose Day I'd get that one.

But it doesn't make me feel better about buying stuff cos I know it's not really me giving to the charity - if I want to support them I should do it from my own pocket.

Does this make sense?

xx