Shopping at Home

10 Steps For Learning To Shop At Home

Are you a Shopaholic? Do you have trouble going in a store without buying something? Do you find it hard to pass up a sale? Have you ever been able to go into a store just to look? Are you able to mall walk without buying anything? Well these shopping rules may help you out!

Learning To Shop At Home!

Consumerism the great temptation is all around us and persistently trying to part us from our money. They tempt us and tease us on the television, radio and bill boards with new delights hoping we will buy their products. They tell us to be successful we have to have a new home, new furniture, new appliances and better stuff than we already have, several new cars, new outfits and other toys we really don’t need. They brainwash us into believing this is true. They put sales on that are not really sales to make sure we will be tempted to buy. We have to draw the line somewhere. Put our foot down and refuse to be taken in by consumerism. They will have us in the poor house!!

1. Less is more! More free time for us. More of our money in our hands to spend the way we want and how we want. More time to spend with friends and family. More time to make memories and less time working to take care of our stuff! First thing you need to do is get your life in order. You can’t organize clutter! So get rid of the clutter that is holding you back from knowing what it is you have in your home, garage or shed. There are things amongst all that clutter that you may need and things that you don’t need. Things you can’t find so you go out and buy another one because you need to use it now and you don’t know where it is. Then when you find it you have 6 of them.  Six items of the same thing when you only need one. Clutter is taking up valuable space and is costing you money and causing you a lot of stress. Stop spending money needlessly by getting rid of the clutter and organizing only what you absolutely love, need and will use. Keep nothing else! 
2. Don’t keep boxes of useless stuff that you have been storing for over a year or more.  If you did not need what was inside for that length of time you won’t need it now. Just throw it out!
3. Don’t be overwhelmed by organizing or sorting. Do one room at a time. Put like with like, shoes with shoes, cups with cups etc. Don’t keep more of the same things than what you need a reasonable amount is what’s called for. When you put like with like you know what you have and where it is.  You basically will need four boxes for sorting, keep, sell, charity and garbage. Put stuff in your sell box to have a garage sale and make a few dollars. Set a date for your garage sale and work towards it. Once you have decided to let it go after the garage sale nothing should come back into your space. If at all possible do not leave things you intend to get rid of hanging around too long as the temptation of keeping them again will be much too great. When a box is full drop it off. Don’t buy any organizing containers or baskets until you reduced the clutter.  Then you can really see what you might need to keep things organized.  Sometimes organizational containers can become clutter when you don’t reduce your clutter enough before organizing.
4. When you have a fabulously organized home and you need something the first thing you do is shop at home.  Check to see if the item you need is right there in your home, garage or shed. No need to spend money at the store. Your organized enough to find it right at home. A place for everything and everything in its place! If you don’t have it in your home put it on your shopping list.
5. Never shop for anything without a list. If you are going shopping for groceries check your fridge, freezer and pantry before to see what you have on hand and make a list. Check your fridge weekly so that things don’t get left behind instead of being eaten before they go bad. Don’t buy more perishable foods than you can eat in a week. Anything you throw away from your fridge is money thrown away.  Remember shop at home first.
6. If shopping for toiletries or paper products check your supply cupboard or bathroom vanity to see what you have and don’t have, then make your list. Watch for sale items the week you need them to reduce costs and then if on sale buy enough to last for awhile but only enough to store in the space allocated for them. Sometimes sales are good but only if we use them correctly. Remember to shop at home.
7. Clothing and shoes can be treated in the same manner. If after you have tried on and cleared your closet of the things that don’t fit, hurt, are uncomfortable to wear or you just don’t like anymore, you should be left with things you do like and will wear. This also makes your choices of what to wear a lot easier when you get dressed in the morning. If you have 7 or 10 outfits for casual wear and a few dressy outfits and a few special occasion outfits that should be enough. The same holds true for shoes, we only have two feet so use the one in and one out rule. You don’t need 10 coats and 25 pairs of shoes either. Think reasonably when clearing your wardrobe.  Before you buy something new after cleaning your wardrobe ask yourself if you really need to add anything to it at this point. When you buy a new item get rid of one. You have cleared the clutter from your wardrobe so adding to it will only make clutter. If you decide to buy an item of clothing then you should get rid of an item from your wardrobe. So this way you are not building up clutter in your closet again. If you need to buy any item of clothing or pair of shoes make a list and only buy what is on the list. Always try on clothing and shoes before you purchase them. Just because the item is marked your size doesn't mean it will fit you. So try it on and be sure!
8. Make a conscious effort of only buying what you put on the shopping list as this is truly what you need not want. Make no purchases of knick knacks, wall hangings or trinkets. Your home is as you want it after clearing out the clutter, don’t clutter it up again. Be happy with what you have. Don’t be tempted by consumerism. Unless you are spring cleaning or remodeling and looking to change a few minor things you should look at your rooms with a satisfied look that it is as beautiful as you want it to be at this time and then forget it. Your money can be spent in a better way making wonderful memories and enjoying more of life.
9. Clean out your files.  Paper files get cluttered beyond our expectations. Do a thorough cleaning and shred your old paper work and keep on top of the mail coming in daily. Create a file for your income tax and put all items relating to that in the file. Keep at least 7 yrs of income tax papers and only 2 yrs of other documents. In some cases only one year is necessary depending on what the file holds.
10. After you have practiced the above 9 rules you should feel comfortable going into stores without buying anything. When in the store and you see something of interest ask yourself, do I need it, will I use it, can I do without it, can I afford it and do I have it at home. Test yourself often so as not to fall into the same old bad habit of buying needlessly. Make yourself go into stores and look around and tell yourself you are not buying anything today because you don’t have a list. You are just there for window shopping and exercise.  Leave your money (all except $5.00) and credit cards at home so you will not be tempted to buy. Only shop with a list and only buy what is on it.

When you come out of the store without buying anything treat yourself to a coffee at the local coffee shop with that $5.00. Tell yourself you did it. You didn’t buy any STUFF.  

May God Bless you and keep you organized, uncluttered, happy and always carrying a list!

KATHY ORGANIZING FOR A BETTER LIFE!