Thank you all for all of the amazing suggestions on dealing with stress-shopping! I found them all really helpful!
I posted about this in another section, but I guess the universe was trying to give me a "head start" on the stress shopping prevention front. A bit of a funny for all of you: I recently placed an order during ZOYA's BOGO sale on nail polish. (Something that was not on my list!). Well, I got so excited to check the status of my order the other morning that I accidentely clicked the "Cancel Order" button, instead of the back button! Oops! As soon as I realized what I had done, I tried to add the items in my cart again and use the promo code...but it had expired!!! No!!! (See, God does have a sense of humor I suppose!). I tried emailing and calling to see if they could still honor the previous order at the sale price, but they weren't able to, so I wound up not getting anything from the sale (I refuse to pay full price). So, even though I really wanted the polish, I guess it was for the best for right now and a good lesson. Instead of impulse buying polish, the next time a good sale comes along, I will have thought on what I want for a while, budgeted for it, and planned ahead. So, I think this was a funny blessing in disguise!
Originally Posted by
jmd252 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I went through a horrible breakup two years ago, and around the same time I lost a good deal of weight (unrelated to the breakup). My stress shopping at that time primarily revolved around clothing - the mall was a way for me to get out of the house and shopping made me feel beautiful - all the things I could never wear when I was heavier I started buying - in large quantities. It got a little out of control, though, and my closet slowly started to fill up and my wallet was consistently empty (which then depressed me and made me more sad than I was before the shopping, because I felt "stuck" in my parents house with a crap ton of debt and no money). I realized what I really needed was to find something to focus my energy on and occupy my time. I started going to the gym (sounds like that may not be an option for you right now, but maybe in the future? Even a slow walk or hike is relaxing sometimes), budgeting (which sounds dreadful but actually turned out to be a lot of fun for me - bring on the spreadsheets!), and selling my old clothes or things I no longer needed on Ebay. That part really filled my shopping hole because I got the thrill of seeing an item change hands while I made money and cleaned out my clutter. If you are home/bed bound, you might enjoy selling some old things online. Another suggestion is to take on some sort of craft project. You could knit or crochet (starts out kind of slow but once you make something it's really fun and it takes a lot of time to finish a project which is nice), make jewelry, sew - there are literally so many options and the projects take a while so they keep you busy and allow you the excitement of having something new. You could even focus on making gifts for the holidays - they are only a few months away. There are a ton of tutorials on Youtube and Pintrest!
I also like you idea of reading. I can get lost in a good book so easily, and literally have shelves full because I love to read. I'd be willing to bet that there are websites or groups for swapping books that could also help you satisfy the desire to get something "new" without spending money!
I hope you are feeling better and past your medical issues, soon! I had surgery earlier this year (nothing serious) so I understand how hard it is to sit around sometimes, but I hope some of these ideas help
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Thank you for all of the awesome suggestions! They were just what I needed!
I really adore the idea of a book swap! I actually do that on occassion with my older cousin; we will definitely have to do that again soon! I've been introduced to a lot of new books I wound up loving that way without spending a dime, and so has he!
One thing I've really gotten into lately in an attempt to try and control our grocery bill has been container gardening. I've been growing a few small things here and there, in the hopes of planting a large garden this spring. (I love the idea of having my own organic foods anytime I want to cook!) I'm also planning to give canning a try for soups, jams, sauces, etc. I think it would be a great way to cut our grocery bill a bit, and have healthy meals ready to eat....especially on days when I'm just not able to really cook much. So, I've been focusing some positive energy on that lately, and can't wait to try more recipes, etc!
I actually used to crochet when I was younger just for fun. You've just inspired me to give it a try again! I think I even have yarn and needles somewhere if I can find them!
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[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Gives me plenty of time to work on Christmas projects. Thanks for being so supportive and kind!
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It definitely gets hard sitting at home sometimes, especially since I'm a pretty social person; it makes you feel a bit isolated, but thankfully this website has a lot of warm, awesome members that make you feel more at ease! There's something called, "The Spoon Theory" (google it) that really sums up how my day to day life is sometimes, and helps me stay a bit positive. I'm having a CT scan later today, and then some tests and biopsies on Wednesday, so I'm trying to convince myself that every test I have done, I'm one step closer to an answer, feeling better, and getting back to my normal activities! In the mean time though, support like this has been really helpful and the suggestions will help keep me occupied while I heal up.
Originally Posted by
Kyuu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Speaking of budgeting
and reading, this is a pretty good book to occupy your time!
http://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You-To-Rich/dp/0761147489 It actually gives really sound budgeting and financial advice about saving, paying off credit card debt, and future outlook towards retirement. And unlike a lot of financial book,
you can do it even if you don't work or make much money. Best of all, he doesn't shame you for (expensive!!!) hobbies, but rather encourages it -- as a part of reframing it as a way to make of how you can see yourself as rich. He even talked about a friend with a really expensive shoe hobby (he said something like she spent $2000-3000 a year on like 10-12 pairs of shoes or something) so you can definitely trust he won't make you feel bad about a makeup hobby.
I mean, I've always been a mostly practical and frugal person, so this whole makeup splurge thing is really new to me. But based on his advice, I switched banks and as a result have earned more than $50 this year in interest alone as opposed to like... $3 -- and believe me when I say I'm a recent college grad without much money in my bank account and am underemployed XD;;
He's actually most of the reason I pretty much stopped buying drugstore makeup. I realized I would rather save it towards a product I really loved rather than have a bunch of cheap products I let sit there. Other than what something gets a good review from Temptalia, I usually don't buy it now
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[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> It's saved me sooo much money that way
Thank you!! Adding that book to my next Amazon order! It sounds like a really positive, practical way to budget, and I'd love to learn some helpful new things that will help keep my wallet a little more happy!
Originally Posted by missionista /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Lydia Nichole, my mom is the biggest stress shopper ever. She channels it by buying exclusively from thrift stores, so she doesn't wind up spending very much money.
Sorry to hear about the medical stuff. Are you allowed to take baths at the moment? If so, when you feel the urge for shopping, you could take a bath, which would relax you and keep you away from the computer, and possibly even help you use up some bath/beauty products. Otherwise, reading is always a good option. If you are good at a craft like knitting or embroidery, that's an option too. Something that sometimes helps me is doing jigsaw puzzles--you can do them online so you don't have tons of little pieces to get lost all over your apartment, and it will keep you busy and channel your stress so you don't shop. It is also something you can do while on bedrest.
I would get along well with your mom lol! I adore our local Goodwill, and love a good yard sale! Sometimes I'll go four or five times and bring home nothing...but the one time I go and find something I adore...it's worth it! I love finding little treasures that add to the character of my home!
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I can take baths, thankfully! I love unwinding with a good bath, music, and candles!
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[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I've been baths lately because of the hot weather, but now that it's cooling down, I should definitely start taking them more often in place of showers. They really do help mellow me out and relax me!
I don't think I even own a puzzle! I will have to pick a fun one up! (I'm sure my cats will enjoy stealing the pieces and making a game of it too! Kojak is always stealing my house keys and hiding them in his cat tree lol!)
