5 Ways To Get Rid of Unnecessary Spending

We live in a world of mass consumption, where wants are conflated with needs and “buy, buy, buy” is the daily mantra.  Working in the fashion industry, I find myself especially susceptible to unnecessary spending that I’m constantly pushing myself to become an informed consumer.  That means curbing impulse spending and making thoughtful, educated purchases.  Here are five tactics I use to eliminate unnecessary spending. 

Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses: I love devouring style/beauty blogs just as much as the next gal, and when I see an entourage of bloggers donning a new trend, it’s easy to convince myself that I, too, want those new loafers.  Stop and ask yourself if you REALLY want or need the item.  Or are you seduced by what others are doing?  For example, a couple of months ago, a friend raved about an amazing eyeshadow primer, and I immediately stopped by my local Sephora and purchased the same one.  Yet, the thing is that I rarely use eyeshadow, which makes eyeshadow primer pretty superfluous in my daily beauty routine.

Expensive isn’t necessarily better: If it’s more expensive, you must be paying extra for quality, right?  Not necessarily.  Just because a facial cream costs a small fortune doesn’t mean that product will work for you.  Take a couple of minutes to read reviews online before purchasing a product.  Sure, even if the majority of reviewers praise a product, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll love it, but at least you’re making an educated gamble.

Stop obsessing over brands: Marketing and advertising specialists invest a lot into establishing brand awareness and loyalty, but keep in mind that just because a brand has visibility doesn’t mean that it’s better.  For example, a dress you find at TJMaxx can be marked up 50% at a local, high-end boutique.  Instead, keep an eye out for generic brands.  At the drugstore, you can find the drugstore equivalent of a brand right next to each other.  If you love Clean and Clear’s face wash, you may find that the drugstore face wash has the same ingredients, but costs a couple of dollars less.

Compare prices: Just because the product is the same doesn’t mean the price is the same across the board.  Many times, you can find a product for cheaper online, since stores must pay hefty costs to keep the physical location of their store.  Price compare online before you make a purchase.

Borrow when possible: If you need new underwear, you need new undies, but in more cases than we think, there are opportunities to borrow.  For example, when I analyze my stylish purchases, most have to do with one time affairs like weddings or formal dances.  Instead of splurging every time celebration calls, think about borrowing/swapping clothes when possible.  My friend Alice and I are roughly the same size, and if there’s a formal event, we’ll check each other’s closets first before heading to the mall.