Have you controlled your urges?

**scfr** · 12-31-2016, 05:10 AM

Nope. My husband & I will go to the Dillard's New Year's Day sale. It's become an annual tradition since we learned about it a couple years after moving to Texas. We will be waiting outside before the doors open. Everything already on clearance an additional 50% off. The main thing we buy is gifts for DH's business customers, but I will also look for work clothes, shoes, and pajamas.

**disneysteve** · 12-31-2016, 05:53 AM

Absolutely! We avoid those sales like the plague. We are not big shoppers, especially me. I hardly ever set foot in a store and I don't even mess with nonsense like cyber Monday or Amazon Prime Day. When I do actually need something, I'll search around a bit for a good price and buy it, but I gave up recreational shopping long ago.

In fact, I've found that I really no longer enjoy activities that I used to really like - yard sales, flea markets, antique stores, outlets, even just strolling through the local mall. Unless there is something specific that I am looking to buy, I find the retail experience incredibly boring.

Last week, my wife and daughter needed a few things at Target. I drove the 3 of us over there. While they shopped, I sat in the cafe area and played on my phone. I didn't even waste my time walking around the store.

**GoodSteward** · 12-31-2016, 07:08 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I find the retail experience incredibly boring.

I do as well, and what makes it less boring is giving into those sales when you have no need for the item until you see the item on sale and realize how much you need that item.

I don't enjoy walking around the mall or any store just looking at stuff that I can't/don't intend to buy. That's like going to a car lot and test driving nicer cars than you have just for the fun of it. It makes you less satisfied with what you have and eventually you will make a dumb choice. The best course of action if you are trying to avoid overspending/spending all your cash flow(and then some) is to stop looking at stuff all the time. Focus on what you already have instead of what you don't have. Makes life more enjoyable.

**rennigade** · 12-31-2016, 07:28 AM

I buy things when I want or need them. I wanted speakers...on bf they were 50% off...I waited all year to get them. I dont randomly walk through stores and see something at a discount and magically want it. That was never my style.

**disneysteve** · 12-31-2016, 07:28 AM

Originally posted by GoodSteward View Post

I don't enjoy walking around the mall or any store just looking at stuff that I can't/don't intend to buy.

I used to, though. Going to the mall was a very common activity on a weekend when we had nothing to do. Wander around, window shop, have lunch, maybe pick up a thing or two but often not.

Now, the malls are largely either incredibly upscale and expensive or really low end crap. This is true of retail in general as the mid-range market has virtually disappeared - but that's the stuff I actually cared about. My wife has no interest in a $400 handbag and I have no desire to buy pretty much anything sold in the dollar store. The in-between stuff just doesn't exist anymore. It's either a cheesy $6 t-shirt or a $65 designer one. We don't want either.

**MonkeyMama** · 12-31-2016, 07:47 AM

No urges here. Haven't seen any stores or sales. I guess ignorance is bliss.

**MonkeyMama** · 12-31-2016, 07:51 AM

P.S. I went to Target Tuesday morning to look for something specific. I wouldn't have paid full price, but was willing to buy at 50%-off if it was still in stock. The shelves were empty. I couldn't even find a bottle of pepsi. I guess I was a day or two too late for all the sales.

**msomnipotent** · 12-31-2016, 08:17 AM

I do the majority of my personal shopping for the year on BF or Cyber Monday, online only. Our mall is infested with gangbangers and assorted low-lifes. It was one of the malls on the news the other day for fights. No window shopping for us unless we drive out to the "rich mall", but I have never been a mall walker or enjoyed shopping. I get a bigger rush selling my old crap.

I did finally break down and buy a box of chocolate covered cherries after Christmas this year. I stopped buying them 2 years ago because they keep raising the price. I'm not going to pay $5 for something that is only worth 99 cents to me, and makes me fat!

**StormRichards** · 12-31-2016, 08:34 AM

We shop for wrapping paper and cards after Christmas. A few years ago Toys R Us had wrapping paper 90% off so we bought a ton of it. That purchase should get us through next Christmas as well. We are out of boxed Christmas cards but the stores we stopped at this morning were only 50% so far.

That is pretty much the extent of our after Christmas shopping, except if we also see holiday candy 75% to 90% off.

**disneysteve** · 12-31-2016, 08:52 AM

I used to do a lot of post-holiday shopping when I sold collectibles regularly. I would hit several Hallmark stores to buy ornaments for 75% off. I would also hit other stores to buy sharply discounted holiday items that I could later resell at a nice profit. I would just avoid dated items. As long as there wasn't a date on it, reselling it was no problem.

**Nutria** · 12-31-2016, 08:59 AM

I've never been a seasonal shopper, but stomping out our urges to just buy whatever we want was an important part of getting and staying out of CC debt.

**Outdoorsygal** · 12-31-2016, 10:07 AM

I start spinning sometimes if confined in a small crowded space.
For this reason, shopping has never been appealing except at the local health food store.
It feels very safe there, they have a different clientelle which we seem to enjoy socializing with.

**GoodSteward** · 12-31-2016, 10:15 AM

I'm tyring to stomp the urge to get an Oculus Rift VR headset or HTC Vive. My friend was visiting from CA and brought his HTC with him. First time I was able to try it. INCREDIBLE. I was so blown away I went home (10 min away) and grabbed my two oldest kids (9 and 10) and let them try. It was so much fun. But it's hard to swallow spending 700-800$, even used on ebay, plus needing to spend another 200$ for a PC video card good enough to run it. I'm thinking this might be next years Christmas gift.

**Nutria** · 12-31-2016, 10:21 AM

Originally posted by GoodSteward View Post

I'm tyring to stomp the urge to get an Oculus Rift VR headset or HTC Vive. My friend was visiting from CA and brought his HTC with him. First time I was able to try it. INCREDIBLE. I was so blown away I went home (10 min away) and grabbed my two oldest kids (9 and 10) and let them try. It was so much fun. But it's hard to swallow spending 700-800$, even used on ebay, plus needing to spend another 200$ for a PC video card good enough to run it. I'm thinking this might be next years Christmas gift.

$805 for a Rift + GTX 1060 video card. https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Rift-V...01N5JLRWK?th=1 $67/month for the next 12 months and you'll have the cash to buy it!!!

(The kids will need new laptops for college, so I'm starting a fund next month: $200/mo for 8 months. Buy in July or August.)

Have you controlled your urges?