I successfully avoided the Trader Joe's!
If that sounds silly to you, I get it,
because it sounds silly typing it out.
But I really did have to have a little self talk moment. I was getting a coffee for a client and had a couple of minutes, TJ's is right next door.
“Let me just pop in" is the worst sentence ever to say about a shop that you like.
Doesn't matter if it's the REI, the fun grocery or a little local boutique by your nail salon, it's really hard to not find something you like.
So I just decided not to go in. Crazy, right? 😆
This kind of boundary is exactly what I need because I can talk myself into almost anything and let's face it, impulse shopping does give you that quick hit of dopamine.
I read an article that talked about impulse buying, and they say the average consumer makes 6-10 impulse buys a month-spending $150-$275. Clothing accounts for 55% of impulse buys, food is 51% and household 42%.
I have a hard time believing it's that low, because if I had a dollar for every time someone said “Amazon made me buy this” or “HomeGoods strikes again”, we'd be on vacation more often!!
But this isn't to make you feel guilty! We are learning to identify so we can make a plan to combat. So many women I talk to know it's a problem, feel guilty and then stay there. But we are women of action! So here's what to look out for-
Pure Impulse-Making a purchase that was not planned at all, often for a novelty or out of pure desire.
Think buying a candy bar at the checkout lane or adding something else to the cart to get free shipping. This is why you never go the grocery hungry! My downfall is the potato chip aisle- I love a good potato chip.😋
But it's good to ask yourself if buying something for $20 to save $7.99 on shipping is really a good deal. While you're at it, ask yourself it said item is going to end up in the donation pile in 6 months.
Reminder Impulse - Seeing an item that reminds you of a need you forgot about.
Like buying toothpaste after seeing it at the grocery store, even though you went for bread. I'm always doing this, mostly because I rarely take a list to the grocery.
I have ended up with a few too many toothpastes in my time, but at least they are consumable. I don't think this is particularly harmful.
Planned Impulse- Having a specific item in mind but deciding to buy it impulsively when you see it on sale or with a coupon.
Honestly, not sure why this is considered an impulse, but I didn't want to cheat you out of the whole article. 😉 I teach my clients to have that list and keep an eye open for sales and coupons. Why wouldn't you? I've had my eye open for a new denim jacket for a couple of years that wasn't ripped and had some fun structure to it. When I saw what I wanted, I was watching those sale emails like it was my new part time job! I'd been waiting for something amazing and now I was just waiting for it to go on sale. To me that's smart shopping.
Suggestion Impulse- Seeing a product for the first time and convincing yourself you need it, often after seeing a product or hearing a recommendation.
Yikes. This is it. The worst one. It's the “must have” ______ of the season you keep seeing on your IG feed on all those cute influencers. It's the way my 11 year old HAD TO HAVE a Prime drink after seeing it advertised over and over on YouTube.
May I pass along some advice? Run this new thing through a couple of filters.
Would this fit the life I live? This gorgeous dress that this beautiful woman is wearing on her fabulous vacation to Italy… does this translate to me?
(Nuance here-I firmly believe it's ok to be the best dressed person in the room, but clients are often putting things in the donate pile because some clothing just doesn't translate to the life you live.)
Would this fit the body I have? Of course those pieces are going to look fabulous on her, that's why it's an advertisement.
Pay attention. Really pay attention.
Look at fabric, where the seaming hits, the arms, the elastic, the pockets on the pants. You have to know your body and what works and what doesn't. Remember that you don't like ¾ sleeves and pants fit better when they're mid-rise.
(If you don't know, let's figure it out so you can be a better shopper!)
So my big win at avoiding lure of the Trader Joe's was simply to not walk in. Not very earth shattering, but highly effective. I've unsubscribed from emails and muted ads. Figure out where those suggestion impulses are coming from so you can come up with a plan.
You've got this!😘