I recently spent two organization sessions helping a SUPER busy mama empty out a house they recently sold. To make a long story short, they haven't lived in the house in approximately a year and when they moved out she took the essentials with intentions of going back later to sort through the remainder of the things to determine what they would need to keep, what to donate & what to toss. Needless to say the first time she was able to get back there was just recently.
In the process of sorting through things she looked at me and said "if we haven't used or needed it in a year, we probably don't need it..." While this was the case for many of the items, there was plenty that had purpose and needed to be kept. She then went on to say that she recently read somewhere that a person going through their items they no longer needed proclaimed "I want my money back!" and how she was feeling the same sentiment at that moment. We giggled and kept on sorting, packing & purging.
However, the more I thought about that statement, the more I feel it rings true for so many. We are all so quick to overindulge ourselves and our children with material items. Most of our homes are overflowing with "stuff." I have to admit, our family is just as guilty as the next when it comes to this only to later go through the house, garage, basement, etc. to clean, organize & often toss away all that "stuff" {money} we HAD to have only to be left feeling like "I want my money back."
As Americans, we are like SUPER consumers. Everywhere we go there is something new, something better than we already have, another sale... it makes it so hard to resist spending.
Again, I am GUILTY. My greatest downfall is shopping. I laugh every single time I see a sign, coffee mug, etc. that reads "I could give up shopping but I am no quitter." Seriously?! Yep... not a quitter. I can't help myself. Send a Loft or Nordstrom email my way with sale info or show me the latest fashion blogger's insta-story, it's over. I am SURE to grab that dress or tank! A girl's gotta look good.
But really... I should stop the madness. {And so should you if this story sounds familiar.} I never thought about the whole "I want my money back" until we were working away this past week. It's an interesting perspective for sure... and as I think about ALL the bags & bags of clothes I dump in the shed at the church each & every year... yeah, I want my money back, too!
Are you quick to spend? Here's a helpful little list to start curbing the spending:
Don't make immediate purchases.
Don't make emotional purchases.
Use cash or debit & NOT credit {you'll be less likely to overspend}
Instead of shopping out of boredom, pick up a new hobby {start reading; join a book club; exercise; start crafting; etc.}
Be creative {when looking to add a new sofa to the living room, don't turn it into a full living room remodel. use items already in your home to give the room a fresh look. not only will you feel better, so will your wallet!}
And ... are you going to say to yourself later, "I want my money back?" Make your purchases really count, don't just spend to for the fun of it.
I am committing myself to a shopping hiatus starting today - Lord knows there are plenty of clothes, shoes & accessories in my closet to last a lifetime. Check back in to see how long my hiatus lasts - and what I am doing to fill the shopping void.