Do you buy too much stuff?

[softgrey]

Do you shop too much...?
*how much is too much...?

how much do you shop?
how often?...what for?...

is it ever too much?...
is it ever enough?...

what are your thoughts?

 

[MetricSam]

My shopping habits can be split into three (four) ways
First, I go shopping with my best friend 4 times a year. Once during the winter sales (january), SS mid-season (march), summer sales (july) and FW mid-season (october)
At those occassions I kinda let myself go and buy loads of stuff, but my best friend makes sure I don't buy anything to extravagant that I would end up not wearing.

Secondly, I go about every month to my local COS store There I buy just 1 item usually, a basic sweater or something like that

Thirdly, I go to the Antwerp Designer Stocksales twice a year (april and november) Most of the items that I end up not wearing were bought here. But I also go there to buy fabrics.

Lastly, sometimes I buy something on YOOX or eBay, once or twice a year. But that hasn't happened lately.

I don't consider myself to be buying much. Especially in the past I went for quality over quantity, but lately I'm buying cheaper items and more of them. So the amount of money that I spend remains the same. On the other hand, considering the pile of clothes I don't wear in my closet, maybe I do shop too much

 

[justlooking]

I've always been a quality over quantity gal. Slow and steady...and i'm sticking to it even if it means I wear the same thing A LOT! haha

I think once you start forgetting you have certain pieces in your wardrobe and buy something only to discover you already have a very similar piece in your wardrobe, you're buying too much and it's enough!

The real question for me is, how many hours do I waste browsing online?!! I hate to think...

 

[Legyviel]

Right now I live quite far away from all the decent shops so I don't shop a lot which is a good thing because Im on a tight budget...

Ive never really shopped so much that I would think it was too much, but then again Im still a student so that might change once I get a decent job *fingers crossed*

I do browse online shops A LOT though.

In my opinion buying is directly proportionate to how much you can afford and/or how much you need so if you're in debt or don't wear half of the stuff you bought, you're buying too much.

 

[leyla m.]

i shop for a living... well sort of as it is my job...
but seriously it is way too much as i do shop for myself as well while placing orders for my shop.
reason for that is mainly my shop attire: i need to mostly wear pieces (designers) that i carry in the store as it is the best promotional tool. ironically every time i wear my favourite Zara pieces a customer asks if i have it instore!!!
yup i also possibly own every single nicer item that comes out in Zara....
totally admit that it is WAY too much and WAY enough but as i consider fashion as fun anyway, i do not take owning too much too serious although consumerism has taken over my closets!!!

hmmmm i am however having a clean out in my closet ( as difficult as it is)and giving away tons of shoes and clothes ( mostly new)

great topic soft! will come back regularly to help me clean out my unused items

 

[Belowen]

I used to buy too much stuff but I am trying to curb that habit. I have a shopping list and I check over it every month to see what I no longer want (or need) and check off everything that I've managed to pick up. I am more conscious of budget this year than I have been previously, and it's showing in the way I am organising my wardrobe this year. I have been inspired by our 4-5 piece wardrobe thread, and although I am still building up a good basic wardrobe for myself (which I think will take a few years because I choose quality over quantity) I am definitely not splurging and buying as much crap as I used to. I think long and hard over whether something will suit me or fit into my current wardrobe before purchasing.

 

[Belowen]

and giving away tons of shoes

....what size??

 

[luckyme]

because of internet access i shop everyday but dont purchase every day. i much prefer going to brick and mortar, since ordering online is often hit or miss and nothing compares to seeing the piece in person and having a sensory experience, things i thought i would love i dont and visa verse. shoes are easier to get a feel for when purchasing online, lucky for me.

i think i inherited the shopping gene from my mom ;-). shopping for me is directly related to my appreciation and acquisition of beautiful things, i think that is a feature of human nature. there are items i need but hesitate purchasing because they dont hit an emotional tick in me, instead I buy way too many shoes because they are my wreath of roses. somehow i manage to wear most of what i have and enjoy putting together something different and fresh from a closet filled with variety. if i get bored with something i move it on to ebay for someone else to enjoy or i give it away.

BUT the pinnacle of shopping is finding THE great bargain score, and i can be a determined huntress looking for that one piece i missed out on and want to find.

 

[leyla m.]

....what size??

38.5 ?

 

[ChrissyM]

^^leyla i tend to have some serious closet envy whenever you post pics

i definitely think that i shop too much...
but not so much that it's a serious problem...

if i can't afford something i don't buy it, and i'm one of those people that pays off the full amount on the credit cards every month...
i'm very conscious about not getting myself into trouble and of growing rather than depleting my savings...

my closets and drawers are sort of bursting at the seams but i really love a lot/most of what i've acquired and i find it really hard to part with things.
i think i do a decent job of wearing what i own and continually try to "shop my closet" and rediscover what i have

but, i do continue to add things that i don't "need"
i have trouble denying myself when i'm trying something on that looks great and is at a reasonable price or that i convince myself is an investment piece that i'll keep forever

i can go into a store on a woman and walk out with a handful of things but i must admit that i get the lion's share of my wardrobe from tjmaxx and am really good at finding treasures in there...
it helps that they have the runway section and because i keep pieces forever and don't necessarily succumb to trends i come away with a lot of great, quality pieces.

i'm pretty good at avoiding shops if i feel like my spending is getting out of control
i definitely prefer to shop in store rather than risk potential disappointment on quality or fit issues with online shopping...
but i DO window shop online just about every day to kind of see what's out there...
i find that to be enjoyable

 

[Belowen]

38.5 ?

I could make it work

 

[Legyviel]

^ me too! me too! (don't forget the clothes too) lol

 

[leyla m.]

alright girls! will let you know for freebies

 

[lollicandy]

Not anymore. I think I went through a phase from about 19 to 21 where I bought things that were trendy, things that didn't fit well or were unflattering, and just bought stuff because I was bored or because it was on "sale." I just grew up and realized I never touched some of my clothes, or they looked really heinous on me and there were taking up my tiny closet. I chucked a lot of stuff and sold some on eBay.

After I lived abroad, the place I was in made me so sick of clothing and shopping I actually lost the desire to shop. I can't stand "stuff" everywhere where I live and I discovered I like my living space to be bare and have a lot of room. I have actually grown to dislike shopping and the idea of Century 21 or discount places where you have to deal with a$sholes and grabby hand tourists makes me break out in a cold sweat.

I really think about things before I buy them (how do they really look on me? when would I use this? how would I use this with what I already have? how long would i use it? and of course #1 PRICE I also think about what I could do, fun stuff like a concert or money to a trip rather than buy the clothing) and I usually put it back and come back to it later. This is why sometimes I take hours to shop, but I can't tell you how many times I think to myself, I'm so glad I didn't buy xyz because I spent it on doing something that makes me happy.

So um, as for the orig. questions yes I used to shop too much. It's when you spend money you don't have; ie you spent all your money and can't pay for groceries, rent, textbooks, your phone etc. I used to shop almost every other day, for anything that caught my fancy haha. I think you can shop too much. You don't need a gigantic wardrobe if you don't want to; the 4-5 piece/French/whatever it's called wardrobe is sufficient and I learned that first hand.

 

[thejarc]

I browse through online stores everyday. I check browns, matches, yoox, thecorner, .... regularly, but then I realize, I can't afford most of the items I adore. But I purchase way too much during sale. When I'm on yoox, and I see, that there's only one item left, it's basically mine.

And I love it. Though I like to have some sort of a chosen wardrobe.

 

[Luna]

I buy WAY too much. To the point where I have to set a goal or ban myself from shopping.

My vices are bags, cute shirts.. fashion jewelry... and I work in the worst part of the city for that last vice. There's always one of those stores around the corner that has cute stuff....

And plus, I work with a bunch of enablers, so someone is always coming in wearing something super cute and I tell myself that I want it too.. so I go shop for it.

I have gotten a little more frugal with time... trying to spend less on clothing.

There was a top my friend was wearing and I knew it was free people, but it cost $88 bucks... I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it all adds up after time (or so I'm finding)... so I found it on ebay.

I guess I'm an addict. I need to stop, but I work in an industry that fuels buying and fashion and accessories and it's sooo hard (hello run on sentence!).