Hi, I’m Noelle and I am an emotional shopper.
An emotional shopper, like an emotional eater, shops through neutral emotions and bad ones. Every feeling becomes a reason to buy.
Aren’t all women emotional shoppers? Probably. But my situation runs deeper. Almost every day I’d go online, where shopping takes seconds, and I’d spend on impulse the moment something caught my eye. Over time I noticed the truth: most of what I bought lost its value and its appeal within weeks. I was drowning in overconsumption.
So I made a change. Here’s what worked, and it can work for you too.
Get Rid of the Shit You Won’t Miss
If you haven’t worn or used something in six months to a year, it’s dead weight. Donate it, give it to someone who wants it, or turn it into cash by selling it online through eBay, Mercari, or a similar platform.
Subscribe here and stay tuned for how to sell your stuff online.
Become a Budget Bitch
Get ruthless about your spending and find out exactly where you’re overconsuming. This month I’ve been running the 50/30/20 budget: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% future. It’s shown me exactly where my money actually goes.
Need a guide to organizing your expenses the 50/30/20 way? Access it here:
Organize Your Credit Card Spending
I carry credit cards and I hold the line on spending, but I don’t always succeed. I avoid my debit card because it’s a straight line to scammers and my bank account. So I run three cards: my bank’s card, a cash rewards card, and an Amazon card. The bank card is for emergencies only, plus it carries the lowest interest rate. The Amazon card is strictly for Amazon. The cash rewards card covers gas, dining, and entertainment, and I pay off whatever I spend the moment I spend it.
People love to say multiple credit cards is reckless. It’s not reckless, it’s just misused by people who don’t work their benefits. If a card is built for travel points, that card pays for travel. Period. It does not pay for a new Prada tote or anything else that has nothing to do with getting on a plane. Know what each card gives back, cash back, statement credit, whatever it is, and use it on purpose.
Assess Your Shopping Decisions
If you’re an emotional shopper like me, the real work is assessing whether you’re buying with intention or just buying to buy. You made it this far in the article, so you’re serious about changing your habits.
That’s why I built a free download: Should I Buy It? The Smart Shopping Decision Checklist & Point System. It walks you through Needs and Purpose, the Wait Test, Money and Budgeting, Quality and Longevity, Overlap and Space, and more. Tally your points at the end and get your result.
Access the free download PDF via a pop-up box when you subscribe to Pink She Wrote.
