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With the holiday season fast approaching, people will soon be traveling, gathering with loved ones and … shopping.
When scrolling or window-shopping for gifts, it can be easy to get tempted by extra purchases here and there. Maybe you’re headed to a big box store to pick out a present for your niece and end up leaving with a new water bottle, book and pair of shoes for yourself.
Or, maybe you go online with the intent of picking out a sweater for your dad but end up getting sucked down a rabbit hole of good deals on winter coats.
This can be an expensive time of year, straining your budget and savings. And often, airline tickets, gas to make the drive home, or that white elephant gift are non-negotiable expenses.
But if you want to cut back on unnecessary spending as you head into the holiday season, here are five tips to help you make more conscientious decisions.
LA Johnson/NPR
📝 Create a "yes" and "no" shopping list. Grab a pen and paper and write down a list of non-essential items that you'll stop buying this season — and continue buying — for a set period of time. It'll help you pinpoint items you tend to overspend on, and be more intentional about what's really worth buying. For example, you might decide not to purchase new holiday decorations and stick with the ones you already have. Or, maybe you choose to cut back on dinners out during November and December.
🙈 Reduce your temptation to shop. In a world of flash sales and ads that follow you from site to site, the temptation to shop is everywhere (especially online). So try to "get a grip on your social media," says sustainable fashion writer Aja Barber. For the holiday season, try unfollowing any social media accounts that persuade you to spend money, including fashion influencers, stylists and clothing brands, says Elysia Berman, who stopped spending money on non-essential items for a whole year.
✂️ Unsubscribe from the email lists of your favorite brands, says Barber. Getting daily or weekly updates about sales and price reductions is not helpful if you’re trying to focus on controlled shopping for the next few months.
⚠️ Block websites where you tend to impulse shop. Berman did this with some of her top fashion sites. "That way, I wasn't even tempted to browse," she says.
💚 Need it, love it, like it, want it. What if you find something that’s on your no-buy list and you are really tempted to purchase? Financial expert and educator, Tiffany Aliche, says to ask yourself, " 'What are the things that really make me happy? What are the things that really bring me joy?'" To keep those priorities straight, Aliche keeps a sticker on top of her computer that says, "need it, love it, like it, want it." And before hitting that purchase button, she wants to ensure what she's buying is a “love” — that it will bring lasting joy.
Over the holidays, it’s easy to get swept up in the “wants” so take a beat before you opt for that sparkly red candle or pair of fuzzy slippers when you’re out shopping.
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