How to Succeed in a No Shopping Challenge

HOW TO SUCCEED IN A NO SHOPPING CHALLENGE

1) AVOID TEMPTATION LIKE THE PLAGUE 

Don’t create pitfalls for yourself. If you know you can’t see a sale without finding something to take home, just don’t go to the mall or click on that link. Would you take a recovering alcoholic to a bar? No! So don’t put yourself in the path of temptation where you might trip up.

2) KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS

Do you shop when you’re upset or bored? Knowing what triggers an impulsive shopping spree puts you one step ahead. Try to examine your past shopping choices and see if there was another factor at play. Go the next step and create a backup plan for these moments, finding other outlets for those impulses. If you’re really a champ you can swap in something productive instead like cleaning or working out.

3) MAKE A WISHLIST

You’re bound to find things you like over the four weeks but rather than adding it to your shopping bag (to easy to have an itchy trigger finger), create a Pinterest board specifically for these items and pin it there. That way you can have all the items you lusted after in one place come the end of the month. And who knows, maybe waiting a few weeks before hitting ‘add to cart’ will pay off and some of those items will be on sale! This is the number one thing I do during a no shopping challenge.

4) SHOP YOUR CLOSET

If you are on a month-long no-shop, it’s likely that you already have an overflowing wardrobe. Take a real hard look at your closet and give it a good clean out. You’re likely to find pieces you’ve forgotten about or that have never even worn (guilty). I also find it helpful to organize my closet as a store would for easy “shopping” at home. Extra points if you spruce it up with nice velvet hangers to make it a more inviting space.

5) SET A GOAL AND A REWARD

Don’t just try to go cold turkey. Set smaller goals (i.e. no shopping for one month, sticking to an allotted shopping budget, etc) that are steps towards a larger one (being financially responsible) and celebrate the success of meeting those smaller goals. Plan out a reward ahead of time if you succeed in meeting your goal for the month. I’ll be using my No Shopping July to save up for an investment item I’ve been eyeing for nearly a year now.

Will you be joining me in a No Shop Challenge for July? Let me know in the comments and if you’re interested in sharing how you are shopping your closet, snap a pic and share it with #NoShopJuly

Until next time,
Ana Luiza

old J.Crew shirt (similar here that is already on my wishlist) // Chambray Wide Le g Bow Pants (I love these pants for the summer and have an entire review of them here) // Old Navy Chambray Espadrilles (these are surprisingly comfortable and only $40! ) // Amazon Sunglasses (these $10 sunglasses are the only ones I ever wear anymore. They are perfect for people like me who constantly break sunglasses)