Smart Shopping Tips on What Not to Buy

Indulge in these smart shopping tips and know how to control the shopaholic in you. Here are some cool tips on what not to buy!

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Hey, beautiful! Shopping is the best therapy. I know most of you agree with this statement. But the ‘shop til you drop’ concept is not so cool an idea, financially, speaking! I’m a shopaholic! I would shop like crazy with and without reason! And if there was a sale in a mall, I would load my closet with every possible this and that from the store.

Cut to my adult life (okay! after I started earning), I realized how important each penny is. And like any other girl, I have no place for my clothes in my closet and I’m not ready to let go off even a single piece from my wardrobe!

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And yet, the shopaholic inside me would urge me to go out and shop more!! Then I started to window shop in online sites. Oh! well, now I did that to satisfy myself visually, but I ended up buying more and more unnecessary stuff – thanks to the zillion options available from the comfort of your (sometimes office) chair!

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So, you all can relate to me, right? I can’t be the only one who does this! So, Shilpa and I had a small (rather long) conversation about how to avoid buying clothes that just pile up in our closet. I must say at the end of it, we had so many opinions that we wanted to share with you girls! A guide on what not to buy.

So, the next time you’re out shopping, remember these easy ways to tone down your shopping expenditure. Let’s discover what not to buy and be smart shoppers!

I have made three sections on before, during and after shopping to make it easier for you to stop buying unnecessary stuff.

What Not to Buy – Best Way to Shop

Before Shopping

This is the planning phase. You need to make a list. Yes, just like groceries. It may sound time consuming, but, this small venture is going to save you so, so much!

Comfort & Personal Style

A. List out the colors you love wearing and hate wearing.

B. List out the fabrics you’re more comfortable with and allergic to.

C. If you wanted to try a new trend then note it down.

D. If you know a certain trend or style doesn’t suit you, note it. For example, if high heels always end up in the back of your closet, unused, don’t spend on those heels that you probably won’t wear because your feet hurts!




What and Why

A. Why you need to shop: Let this be your first step. Is it for a new semester in college or new job or because it’s Christmas? First note down the reason. This will give you a vague idea of what you actually need.

B. Make a list: Now that you know the reason, make a list of things you need to buy. For example you may need tee shirts and jeans for a new semester.

C. Think of your weather needs: For a tropical vacation, you don’t want to buy a trendy graphic sweater in the summer!

D. Think and check: Now that you have the list, you need to think if you really need everything in the list. If you want to buy jeans, go check your wardrobe to see how many you own. Do you need more? Finalize your list and scratch out the unnecessary stuff.




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During Shopping

During this stage, you need little help and that’s from yourself! You need to control your inner-self to not get fascinated by all the fancy stuff!! So, this is really where you need to concentrate on what not to buy.

  1. Set a time period: I know shopping is the best therapy but it’s always good to set a time frame for yourself. Make plans afterwards like movie or dinner with family. Setting your priorities will help you not waste time.
  2. Budget limit: Fast fashion is a wasteful thing. Whether you’re shopping online, in a mall or street-side, you don’t wanna waste money. Set a budget for yourself.
  3. Don’t get bit by the sale bug: Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale.
    Shilpa’s pro-tip: Most of us end up buying clothes from sale that we never use and they end up in the back of our closets forever! So she says to ask yourself whether you’d have bought it if it weren’t on sale? If it’s even a 100 bucks, do you really need to waste a 100 bucks on it? Oh! well, I salute Shilpa’s self-control skills if she really practices this tip! (Don’t we need a post on what to buy too? Yay! I hope Shilpa has cool tips to share!)
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  1. Avoid vacation madness: If you’re on a vacation, don’t plan an entire day for shopping! Instead go visit places and create memories! It’s good to have a souvenir from the trip. So, buy something you actually love or will use.
  2. Shop alone or shop with friends who won’t let you buy everything: Let this be your mantra when you decide to shop.  It’s fun to shop with your girls and have the best time but sometimes they end up being your partners in crime. Either shop alone or go out with a friend who is a smart shopper.
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  3. Try ’em if you like ’em: If you really like something which is not on your list, try it. Don’t buy something which is not your size. Weight loss/gain whatever it is! Avoid it.
  4. Billing counter is not the deadline: Once you’re done with shopping, don’t forget to check your cart again. Eliminate things you don’t need. Add up the amount in your head to see if you are within your budget limit! I have been doing this for a while and it really helps me.
  5. Sleep on it if confused: This is the best tip yet the hardest to practice. If you’re unsure of whether you really need something or not, do NOT buy it. Tell yourself that you’ll buy it next week if you still want it. That way, you’ll know if it’s worth the second shopping trip.



What Not to Buy – Online Shopping

You can use these ideas while shopping online, too.

  1. Have patience and think before you end up buying something. So, let thinking and patience be the power words while you shop online.
  2. Set a time frame so you don’t end up spending your whole day on it.
  3. Once you’re done, don’t hurry up and order everything in your cart. Sleep on it and then decide if you really need it the next day.



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This is the end point! If you feel you’ve already bought yourself something irrelevant or out of your budget, return it ASAP. You can also exchange it with your friends, cousins or even your colleagues! I know it’s brand new clothes but it’s better if someone wears it rather than piling up your closet for years! Or donate what you don’t need. If you don’t like social service, you can even resell your clothes online. So, you can add your old unused clothes, too! Don’t make it like a punishment, instead, congratulate and compliment yourself!

So, these are the cool and useful tips from us on smart shopping. Hope you liked them!

Which tip could you relate to the most? Are you more into online shopping or brick and mortar? Are you gonna follow these tips on what not to buy while shopping? Let us know!

Happy smart shopping!

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