Last month’s bank statement is in, and I spent:
February 1 — $52.35, Saks.com — Remember in January when I bought a bunch of stuff on sale from NM? Two days later, I received an email stating that an items was unavailable. I didn’t need it, but I spent time tracking it down and bought it again, with real money, as I didn’t have points this time.
February 2 — $22.96, ralphlauren.com — My purchases from NM and Saks were mostly bottoms. I also couldn’t take out the stains on a RL top I liked, so I ended up here. Except, the same top was no longer available, and instead of accepting that, I bought random stuff. In addition to $22.96 in money, I also applied gift cards to my purchase total.
February 3 — $156, amourvert.com — I wasn’t particularly happy with the selection of tops from RL, so decided to pay my favorite ethical fashion shop a visit. There exists no justification for what seemed natural and reasonable then. When not in the habit of pausing to consider buying something, I had no filter to prevent me from making unnecessary purchases.
February 6 — $8.47, Amazon.com — I bought some Hard as Hoof nail strengthening cream. While this isn’t a lot of money, it was MOS DEF still unnecessary. I read that this product was good for easily damaged, flaky nails such as mine, and didn’t think twice before ordering online. I know I have seen this product in person, as I remember thinking to myself that I should buy it because the fact that I’ve also seen it in physical stores means that it’s not some online-only scam. If I kept thinking longer, I would have chosen to buy it in person instead of wastefully having it shipped.
February 6 — $8.43, Amazon.com — I bought a velvet trim to cover up the raw hem of a cardigan. I’m glad I’m mending and preserving a garment, but I live pretty close to shops where I could have bought the trim, sans packaging and shipping. How easy it is to buy something on Amazon lulls me into equating that ease with a sense of efficiency. I’ll have to be especially vigilant on Amazon in the future.
February 19 — $21.20, Amazon.com — I bought two BAGGU bags, my favorite reusable bags. They are durable, foldable and lightweight. While they have no physical store save for three far from me, I could’ve found other similar bags in person. Often I’ll remember something that works well for me, and seek out the brand again when in need. This can make buying inefficient. I just need to remember most like items are roughly equal.
Overall though, February was a vast improvement over January. I made 5 online shopping “trips” spending $269.41, down from 8 excursions (a 37.5% decrease) totaling $1400.05 (an 80.75% decrease!). I’m excited to get to work on March. Toodles!
