Behavior & Psychology

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Resisting the Allure of a Sale

As many of you know, I recently accepted a challenge from a reader to not shop for a month.  I committed to go the entire month of May without buying any new clothing, shoes, or accessories.

At first, it was really easy for me to refrain from shopping.   In fact, I started to feel like it would be “a piece of cake” for me to breeze through the challenge and I even considered the possibility of extending my shopping hiatus.

Sale Temptations

The ever alluring store sales – so difficult to resist!

Then, It Happened…

Then, it happened… I learned about the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nordstrom’s sales, here’s the bottom line.  They only have sales three times per year – two half-yearly sales in May and November, and the “Grand Poohbah” of sales, their Anniversary Sale in July.  I can’t remember the last time I haven’t shopped at one of these sales.  After all, Nordstrom is my favorite store, I love shopping there, and I’m a “regular.”  Many of the salespeople know my name and greet me warmly when I arrive.  I feel “at home” there, like I’m in my element.

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Shopaholic Lies and Covert Operations

Awhile back, I wrote about the “The Reasons We Shop Too Much” and recently shared a more personal perspective in “Why Continue to Shop?” Today I’d like to look at how our compulsive shopping affects our spouses and loved ones.
Secret Shopaholic Behaviors
Many shopaholics, who may be honest and trustworthy in other areas of our lives, engage in lying and hiding behaviors to cover up the fact that we shop too much.  In “The Serial Return Phenomenon,” I wrote about how compulsive shoppers return items we buy as a means of extending our shopping.   The returns fund future buying excursions and allow the shopaholic to get another “fix.”  The following are some other duplicitous behaviors commonly committed by compulsive shoppers, myself included.

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Why Continue to Shop?

This post was inspired by a reader question in response to one of my Project 333 updates.   I love how my readers challenge me and lead me to think more deeply about my behavior and thought processes!   I’m so happy I started this blog, as it’s already exceeded my initial expectations.  I’m delighted that it’s helping others deal with their wardrobes and shopping, as well as accelerating my own awareness and growth.

Here is the reader question I’ve been pondering over the past couple of weeks:

Why do you continue to buy clothing when you have so much already that you haven’t made decisions about?”

I decided to answer this question in a post, as I’m guessing other “shopaholics” will be able to relate to my answers.  As I wrote about in “The Reasons We Shop Too Much,” there are many motives behind compulsive shopping behavior.  Just as a compulsive overeater doesn’t overindulge because she’s hungry or loves food, the frantic buying behavior of shopaholics can rarely be attributed to a love of fashion or genuine wardrobe needs.

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Buyer’s Remorse – Where Did My $50,000 Go?

In preparation for beginning Project 333 this month, I took the “Dress with Less Microcourse,” an inexpensive self-paced course geared toward getting people ready to take on the challenge.  One of my favorite parts of the course was the series of thought-provoking questions presented in the Day One materials.  These questions really solidified my decision to participate in Project 333, as my answers made me more present to what my compulsive shopping and overly full closet were costing me, both on a financial and psychological level.

My favorite question was this one:

“Estimate how much money you have spent on clothing, jewelry, accessories and yes… shoes over the past 10 years. If you had that sum of money in your hands right now, would you spend it on clothes?”

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The Tried and True vs. the Shiny and New

I had a realization the other day regarding my Project 333 capsule wardrobe.  It occurred to me that many of my 33 garments for April through June have been in my closet for a number of years.  Geek that I am, I decided to do the math…  I learned that 79% of my Project 333 pieces were purchased in 2011 or earlier, and 55% were bought in or before 2010!  Here’s how it breaks down:

Project 333 Garments by Year

Curious about the two garments from 2006?  They are a chevron striped tank top and a seamed flared black skirt, bought at consignment stores for $3 and $16, respectively.  Even when I factor in the minor alteration fees for these items, their cost per wear is likely pennies!

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