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

ExNicotineQueen

Rescuing this brilliant thread from page 9! It’s taken me about a month on and off to read all 101 pages and all the posts contained within but I’ve done it and felt compelled to post.

Hello everyone, my name is ENQ and I am a shopaholic lol. Also another crisp addict and can totally identify with the vast majority of all your posts from not binning old tatty bags, major clutter of junk taking over bedroom and life and general frittering away of cash. Even though I haven’t been posting, like I said, I was reading, and this thread has helped me to cut back.

I went to Oxford Street last week and this week (major shopping central in London) and I passed a Coast shop, now I remember earlier on in this thread you were all talking about Coast and I had never heard of it and I thought oooh, let me pop in there and have a look lol!:rotfl:

Anyway, I managed to window shop only and had to drag myself away from Selfridges and all the designer bags; saw a lovely Gucci purse/wallet for wait, £400! :eek: And a gorgeous DKNY travel bag for £1,500, double :eek::eek: Quite why I would need it I don’t know considering I don’t travel anywhere much lol. :rotfl:

I have been really good IMO and talked myself out of going to Zara, H&M and River Island because I know I would have spotted something, anything, and just bought it for the sake of buying something. I did however spend £4 at KFC though, was starving and hadn’t eaten for the whole day. Anyway, I can waffle for England so I’ll finish by saying I am hopefully going to take this opportunity to remind me to update my spending diary as I did used to do it religiously but have slipped somewhat and to keep me on the straight and narrow with regards to unnecessary shopping. I was thinking about getting hypnotherapy for my shopping/junk food/crisp addiction, I know it’s all to do with self-esteem issues and relating back to money when I was a child but I would really like to get a hold of it once and for all and be in control of my ‘emotional spending’. It worked for me with quitting smoking. Hmmm, something to think about.

Today will hopefully be a NSD as I was super organised last night and pre-prepared lunch today for work so no sloping off to KFC for me! Going out to see a friend tonight so dinner round hers and she will also do my hair for me.

I *think* it was NGLady, but whoever has been de-cluttering to get rid of their junk to move to a smaller place/going to uni, you inspired me to start de-cluterring and after many years of absenteeism I started listing on eBay again. It started with one item and now I have five items listed. I went through the makeshift wardrobe and trunks/cartons that I have (no space!!) and emptied 3 of them, massive they were and all. All those clothes still brand new with tags on are going on eBay by hook or by crook! I have been procrastinating for far too long! Anyway that’s my task for the coming weekend to take pics, write down sizes, descriptions etc and list them. I can’t remember which one of you said it but I too have moved from place to place carrying all this junk with me, no more! :j

See, told you I could waffle on lol, anyway, hope it’s ok me joining this thread and hope you are all having a lovely day.

Souk08

Hi ExNicotineQueen, Great thread yes. I'm off work today so need to clean and do some washing and not sit on here!

NGlady

Welcome NCQ - hope to see more posts from you in the future
It wasnt me who is moving, its flickeringEmber
But I do ramble a lot on here so not suprised about the confusion lol.

Anglea

Hi all

Welcome ExNQ and thanks for retrieving us from page 9 (Completelylost where are you?) and interesting to hear that you've read all the pages.

So you know we talk about all sorts of things apart from shopping - dates, food, de-cluttering, excercise and we mustn't miss out - CRISPS .

CompletelyLost

Hi all,
I'm here, just been lurking a bit.

ExNicotineQueen, I read your post yesterday but didn't get a chance to reply. Welcome to the thread, can't believe you read all 100-pgs, I don't think even I've done than and I've been here since the start :S

Really glad to read about your progress though, especially the decluttering and ebaying as I know how tedious that job is.


As for me, well, I got really annoyed with myself yesterday. My room has started to suffocate me again - don't get me wrong, I haven't accumulated anymore stuff apart from toiletries but there's still so much crap in here. Plus my cleaning has gone down the pan so there's mounds of stuff on my bedroom floor again. Gonna have to get my butt into gear and do something before I go mental :mad:

On the plus side, I've lost 11lbs in the past 6-weeks so I'm finally wearing the jeggings that I bought many moons ago, and actually, I quite like them. I still have two more unworn pair of jeans to start wearing :S Right now I'm too scared to even try them on.

Anglea

Hi all

Well done CL on your weight loss - and the fact you can wear those trousers now.

I can empathise with the bedroom - everytime I tidy it just appears again :mad: I think there is a 'clutter blindness' most days so it just mounts up to become overwhelming. Do you find that?

Somedays I can so fed up with it all. In the past I used to think it was because one of my sons is really messy when he's home and I get stressed tidying after him downstairs- but it took ages until I realised that didn't excuse my bedroom!

I've really got to work out what it is about my room that is causing the problems. I think it's partly because the wardrobe and drawers are full so putting away clean laundry is difficult.

I also stack bills and papers ready to be filed - as I keep the folders in my bedroom.

Then I've got all my Christmas organising things in boxes on the floor.

I've got a dressing table of drawers that are full of things I NEVER TOUCH but can't face sorting out.

So, everyone, what is your clutter spot and what have you got in it?

NGlady

Hi all

WOW, I am so tierd. I have had a really busy, yet lovely week so far I went out with Mr Local last night I had a lovely night, I spent a little more than I was intending though, as I treated us both to something to eat and a drink he paid for the bowling though. So that was £13 I wasn't planning on spending. But I didn't mind at all

I made a mistake tonight though. My dad met me near a shoe shop afterwork and I was waiting for him and was sort of dragged into this shoe shop - honestly, I think its like a magnetic force. Anyway.. to cut a long story short... I brought some shoes allbeit only £9 but A: £9 had I of got a different bus i'd have never spent B: If I had of got another bus, I wouldn't have spent C: There uncomfortable and being taken back. I spend so much money on the process of going to the shops to buy and then going to the shops to return lol. Also went to the Beautician afterwork and spent £7 on having my eyebrows waxed. Honestly, I think, I should be a beautician, £7 for about 3 minutes work?!

A random little insert is, on my Lloyds tsb account, I have a feature account called "save the change" basically, say I spent £5.40 on my debit card, £0.60 goes into a "offspill" account, I have saved £11 this month so far with that, which is going to pay for my purse

Sooo.... I have finished work for a long weekend. Really looking forward to tomorrow, as going up to Manchester with Mr Local I have organized my budget too. I have put £50 on one debit card, this is the money that I am allowed to treat myself with, I have figured this is sort of my birthday outting, so I would quite like to buy a purse to go with my Pauls Boutique handbag, A: Can't really afford to B: Don't really want to spend too much so I won't be buying the one that matches the handbag, as thats £40... I shall be buying a very nice smaller one at £18 which will serve purpose just as good if not better Also put £20 for travel inside my travel card holder This will include our on board Hot Chocs lol. And then I have a spare £30, to be used for buying my Dinner or if I end up going over on the spends, or whatever really Quite proud of myself that I have managed to become so organized.

I have also told him I would like to try and reduce time spent in shops :O can you BULEVE I said THAT! ... Really, Angela, yes I did... get your smelling salts again lol. So we're going to find the bus to take us to the trafford to go to the Krispey creme factory and we're going to hit a museum... all providing the weather isn't completely pooh.

I have thought of carrying spare clothes with me. Really don't want to though, as knowing my luck i'll carry them and it won't rain that much anyway lol. If I need to, and I am in a very bad way wet wise, then I shall take the hit and buy something to pop on But with a bit of luck, I shall not.

I really need to start making more effort with my spend diary again, thinking of buying a small litle notebook and keeping it in my desk at work! Good news is, only brought my dinner once @ work this week. . . . YAY. Think, once I return the shoes, taking into account my night out and my eyebrow waxing, I may have spent £30 this week plus buses, which I am happy with But I would prefer £20 next week


Have a lovely weekend planned And feeling quite proud of myself, for making myself wear a dress I already own for the Christening I know this sounds really daft, but this is actually an achievement for me! I rarely wear a "event" thing once and normally i'd buy a new dress and hang it up forever but I didn't YAY. Very worried though that i'll have a slip up tomorrow and end up falling for one. Shall try not tooo!

I have a couple of returns to do, but I am not going to do them tomorrow, as I don't really feel "aware" of my new squeeze enough to do that with him yet lol.

On Saturday, don't think im doing too much. Can't really afford to go shopping twice in a weekend. WOOOOW never thought i'd think about money like that! In the past, I wouldn't see going to town as shopping and spending money May possibly go to a smaller town and return some shoes from last week, as I do need a couple of bits for Sunday. Neeeed to dedicate 2/3 hours at some point this weekend to really getting some elbow greece into a tidy up, I am now ready I think for less junk

Ohhh gutted! Last year, they did a promo with Nails Inc and a sunday newspaper, buy a nails inc N/varnish for a £1... my favorite is getting gloopy and about to go to the great bin in the sky. Considering.... Promising myself that if I manage to make £10 worth of saves during next week, I will rebuy it next weekend, I can't really justify a two figure nail varnish without saving for it So we shall see!



Flickeringember... hows the move?

Cl.. I don't hate you at all for the weight loss No seriously, Congrats, sounded like you really worked hard to get your weightloss big achievement Hopefully, it'll help you gain a little more confidence in yourself

Angela ... Get your thumb out And I know what you mean about people on this thread not putting any act on I think its lovely. I wonder if any men use the thread? lol.

Well that ends the sermon this evening

So hows all you ladies?

CompletelyLost

Evening

Anglea, I wouldn't say there's a particular area that the clutter ends up. I have a lot of fitted wardrobes in my room so there's a huge build up in there from over the years. I also have two chests of drawers, a desk and lots of storage boxes all filled with junk!

NG: I'm not sure if it's still going on, but Diet Coke/Boots are doing a Nails Inc promo. You buy two Diet cokes and get a Nails inc polsih free. Then again you probably have a specific colour in mind so it might be any use to you.

Also you seem to be doing well with your spends And you just reminded me that I need to buy some new tweezers as mine seem to have gone AWOL (probably stolen by one of my sisters).

As for my weightloss, I'd like to lose another half-stone before I'll feel totally comfortable. To be honest I don't feel any different but my size 14s fit again so it's a start. I was a 10-12 not long ago so would like to be back there - I suppose can dream, eh!

Tomorrow my family are going to the huuuuuuuuge shopping centre (about 30 miles away) so I'm debating whether to go or not. I have been quite restrained recently, but I could do with some new tops and bras (sorry if too much info, but I feel like none of mine fit anymore!)

I'll no doubt end up wandering off on my own but that suits me fine anyway, because I can't bear being with my sisters for more than 5-minutes :S They are awful creatures, it does my head in when I see how spoilt they are.

So yeah, I will probably go. I would like a mint green nail polish (random I know!) - my friend was wearing a lovely one and she said it was only £2-ish from Boots so I will look out for that. I have some vouchers to spend anyway

NGlady

Good evening all

CL - I have never thought about mint green nail varnish, however, if you have the right skin tone I think it would actually look lovely Would probably need well shaped short nails for it though to be honest

I have heard about the coke promo Shall pop in and have a look tomorrow - though doubtful my colour will be in the promo nevermind though!!

I have had a FANTASTICALLY amazing day today YAAAY

I had in my head I wanted a big huge black patent clutch bag to go with an outfit for Sunday as my shoes and belt are black patent, and saw a lovely pauls boutique style clutch in Selfridges, but I made myself think about it for two hours. I came to the conclusion, I didn't want to spend that about of money so I didn't buy it, I thought if I loved it so much and there was only one left on the shelf, why did I leave it behind earlier... so I didnt buy it....

Guess what.....

I didn't buy ANYTHING from the shops today!!

My spends are as follows - I am very pleased with myself

£0.70 water
£3.00 for two hot chocs on the train
£6.60 for two doughnuts and two home style lemonades at Selfridges
£12 for train ticket
Overall - £22.30 unless I have forgoten something, don't think I have mind

Mr Local is taking me out for my birthday tomorrow night though so I am going to raid my wardrobe tomorrow, but may give myself my £50 allowance (still intact ) and spend half of it on a outfit for tomorrow night. I am returning some shoes from last week too, so in theory I could spent £45 on a nice outfit for tomorrow night (£70 if its something completely double amazing ) but hey if I've got an outfit already, it'll be worn.

Thanks for saying I am doing better with my spends CL - I am trying and I am a lot more aware. It struck me today, that a year ago would I heck as like left that clutch bag. I was taken in by the beautiful yellow carier bags in Selfridges today and very nearly brought something from the Oasis concession just so I could have a carrier, I argued with myself though, if I buy and don't like it, i've fluffed it as I dont have a selfridges locally, so I left it

CL - I think you should go to the shopping centre Don't take this the wrong way please, but I have of late tried to go with the idea, if somebody suggests an outting, even if its just into the local shop I am going to go with it, if I possibly can, therefore maximising every opprtunity And yes treat yourself to some new tops, you are doing realllly well with this spend thing ,you need to treat yourself too

Well I am ABSOLOUTLY exhursted so I am going to bed now I am so proud of myself for my lack of spending today In the past £50 would have been spent without thinking.

Gleeen

Having a hobby helps! I used to love shopping, and I still enjoy it, but now I make jewellery and fascinators and when I go into shops I tend to just look at the jewellery and headpieces they have in to compare it to my stuff and to get ideas!