Jamie Friedlander
- I decided to stop shopping online for two months to see how it would affect my personal spending.
- At first, quitting was harder than I expected, but I ended up learning several surprising things about my finances.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
To say I have an online shopping problem would be, by all accounts, an understatement.
I have an affinity for unique, rare dresses (hello, Anthropologie), leather sandals, purses and handmade journals — the list goes on.
I don’t spend beyond my means, but I definitely spend more than I should. My husband and I shelled out for a couple of big-ticket items this summer, including kitchen sink repairs, property taxes, and an upcoming trip to the Pacific Northwest. As I looked at our finances, I realized my online shopping was a bit excessive. I could definitely cut back in order to prioritize these other expenses.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to take extreme measures: A self-imposed, two-month online shopping ban.
Here are seven important things I learned along the way.
You don’t need as many clothes (or shoes) when you work from home.
Creative Nina/Shutterstock
I work from home as a freelance writer. This means I spend at least 30 to 40 hours each week sitting at my home desk typing away in loungewear.
Once I stopped shopping online, I realized way too much of my money was going toward clothing and shoes. I leave the house during the day, of course, and on the weekends, but I was buying way more clothing than I’d ever have the time to wear, in particular nice items that wouldn’t be appropriate for a quick trip to the grocery store.
My priorities began to shift. Instead of spending money on new clothes and shoes, I focused on putting it toward worthwhile expenses like travel, cooking utensils and a new journal.
Amazon Prime isn’t always the cheapest option.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Like countless other people, I’m a sucker for buying random, last-minute items on Amazon. Out of AAA batteries for my tape recorder? Amazon Prime order. Need more laundry detergent? Hello, Amazon Prime.
By forcing myself to eschew this behavior, I realized that although convenience items are available on Amazon, they’re actually much cheaper at places like Target and Walmart. Now, instead of making meaningless Prime orders, I remember to tack on whatever I need to my grocery list.
Getting over the initial hurdle is the toughest part
Matt Cardy / Stringer / Getty Images
Full disclosure: This test began as a one-month shopping ban. I figured I could make it four short weeks without shopping online. But once the ball started rolling and I realized how well I felt by not shopping online, I upped it to two months.
The first week was the hardest. I found myself incredibly tempted by emails, Facebook ads, and photos of new products from some of my favorite shops on Instagram. But every single time I saw something I wanted, I said to myself: Is this something you absolutely need in your life?
And, without a doubt, the answer was always no. As I saw my credit card balance shrink, I knew I’d made the right call.
Related: I’m an Instagram addict — here’s what happened when I quit Instagram for 1 week
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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- My boyfriend and I spend just $24,000 a year by living in a van — here are all the things we save money on
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Jamie Friedlander)