Smart Shopping

All right you guys.  Let's just be totally honest.  No shop summer is just not working this year.  I've really tried, but I have broken the ban a little bit outside of my Stitch Fix box last month.  I think what I've learned from my attempt this year is that what I need is not a full on shopping ban.  It's not going to solve my problems when I say I'm no longer on that ban - I'll be right back to my old habits.  So instead, I'm looking at this the way they say you should with something like sweets if you're on a diet.  Don't cut yourself off completely, do it in moderation.  So, instead of being on a no shop summer, I am pretty much saying for here on out I'm trying to be a Smart Shopper.  I'm going to really work on sticking to a budget and not just shopping for the sake of shopping. 

One way I have found to be a bit more of a smart shopper is using ThredUp.  I've talked about it here a bit before.  I sold some stuff to them last month and have another bag on the way to them as we speak.  I have definitely cashed out before, but I have found a great way to be a smart shopper is taking the credit I have from them and using it on their site.  So I got a great deal on this Old Navy skirt - it was on clearance and with the money I had from what they bought from me, it was pretty much free!

I also treated myself to this little purse.  It wasn't on sale, but again, I pretty much paid nothing because I had money in my ThredUp account to use!  This is a nice little bag, it's definitely smaller than what I've been carrying lately, but I like that it has a crossbody strap and it still fits pretty much all of my stuff.  Nate's always on me about my bags being too big and heavy anyway, so maybe this is good for me!

I'm really not disappointed that I "failed" at my shopping ban.  And I'm still shopping my closet first and pretty much avoiding going to the thrift stores this summer.  I don't plan to shop much, but I feel better giving myself a little bit of a pass in a way.  I think just overhauling my whole approach to shopping just makes more sense than saying "I'm going to ban myself from shopping all together" - again, hate tying this to food, but it feels like saying "I"m going on a three day fast" and then eating all the ice cream when I am done.  I just fear I'd go overboard when the ban is over, it has happened in the past.  I'm not trying to offend anyone else who is either on a shopping ban or has had one work for them before.  This is just what I'm discovering about myself.  And I want to be completely honest with you all, so that's my truth today!  So instead of a No Shop Summer I'm now dubbing this the Summer of Smart Shopping - which hopefully will carry over into fall and winter too!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!