How to Stop Buying Stuff (So You Can Save $$$)

This is what I like to call the "Why I Can't Travel" equation.

I get it - you need the ability to take off work to go explore and you have to pay for it somehow. But I also think people sit on these excuses. We can complain about these things til we're blue in the face, but how many of us actually try to do something to either 1.) get more money or 2.) find more time? I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a DM from a follower claiming they have no money to travel - yet they post endlessly about concerts they go to, weekly brunches and happy hour dates, new hair extensions, etc.

I mean - why not use that cash to travel?

It's tricky. We live in a consumerism world where we just want to have all the things. We're bombarded daily by ads for stuff and emails with flash deals and sent snail mail coupons that tempt us. It's hard to JUST SAY NO to buying things.

Wanna know something obvious? The less you buy, the more you'll have to put towards an airplane ticket or a hotel or an all-inclusive cruise. And guess what? It's the little things we buy that add up quick, leaving us feeling like we have no money for a vacay.

As a former shopaholic (who still has her relapses), I know the struggle of stopping the cycle. Today, I'm rounding up some of my tips to make it easier to just stop spending money. While you can use the savings for whatever - setting up an emergency fund, an extra payment on a student loan - I think it's best spent on that dream trip you've been eyeing up!

PS - any links below are not sponsored or affiliated in any way!

How many times a day do you get emails promising the best deals EVER? Like, if you don't jump on this 25% off RIGHT THIS SECOND, you'll never get this steal again? It seems like every day is some new flash sale/buy now/lowest price ever kinda day. Email marketing is so slick at giving us that sense of urgency. When we act on impulse, we don't stop and consider if we really need something - all we think about is that cute tank top that's only $5.

Do yourself a favor and put an end to the temptation by unsubscribing from these emails. You can go about it the manual way - opening the emails and hitting the unsubscribe button - but that can take some time. Free services like Unroll.me and Unlistr will show you all your email subscriptions and allow you to easily unsubscribe with the click of a button.

PRO TIP: Stop the emails from even rolling in by using the guest checkout while shopping online. You can also say no thanks when stores ask for your email and phone number, too!

Wanna know how sneaky stores are? They have a whole science behind their store layouts and displays that forces you to wander the aisles and browse the shelves and buy more stuff. I can't tell you how many times I walked into Target intending to buy one thing and got lost in the magic - leaving with a full cart, empty wallet, and usually without the thing I had intended to buy.

While we can't blame stores for wanting to lure us in with impulse buys, we can strengthen our willpower. Make a list before heading to any store - grocery store, the mall, Ulta, etc - and stick with it! If it's not on the list, don't buy it! Having a physical (or digital) list will help you stick to just your necessities and reduce the time spent wandering around the store.

Influencers and bloggers are great (totally not biased here, wink) but it's important to know their motive. Wanna know what fashion bloggers do? They legit create content aimed at showing you what to buy and how to wear it and what the new trends are. I'm not hating on these people at all, but if your feed is filled with try-on videos and store haul posts and "OMG my scarf is on sale link in bio" - you're going be influenced by that.

I made the decision to unfollow a hoard of fashion influencers from my personal social media channels earlier this year and it has been AMAZING for reducing my urge to shop. It's crazy how easy it is to keep your spending in check when you aren't seeing endless posts about how these shoes will *literally* change your life. Next time you're scrolling through Instagram, take note of how many influencers are on your feed appealing to you to buy stuff. Consider unfollowing if they aren't adding any extra value other than making you feel like you need to go shopping.

Ever feel like you casually look up something on your phone and BAM! everywhere you look is filled with ads for that product? I can spend two minutes looking at a new beauty product and my webpages are filled with ads for months promoting it. These promotions may seem harmless or just annoying, but they start to grow on you. The more you're exposed to them, the more tempted you'll feel to click the ad and complete your purchase.

Make ads less tempting by making them less relevant. Clearing the cookies on your browser will reset stored files and traces of your activity - meaning those annoying flashing banners will be more obscure. Over time the ads will pick up on your preferences so it's not a one-time solution, but it's a good habit to get into.

I'm sure all of us have signed up for subscriptions at some point that we completely forget about. It's easy to do - if they only charge a small amount each month, overlooking the cost is almost guaranteed. I mean, I know I have Hulu, but I couldn't even tell you how much I spend for that subscription.

Do a review of all the subscriptions and recurring payments you're making to evaluate if these are services you want to keep using. Sites like Truebill will analyze your bank account activity to see what subscription services you use – even those once a year ones that are hard to keep track of. You can then easily cancel services you don’t really use or totally forgot you signed up for. Sure, it make only be $10-20/month for each subscription, but add it up over a year and you’ve got yourself a night or two at a nice hotel abroad!

We tend to want to buy things because we stop loving what we already have. Reigniting your interest for the clothes, accessories, and knick-knacks will help you feel less inclined to buy new things. Consider this a lesson in appreciation.

Not loving your current home décor? Try reorganizing the layout of your space or moving paintings and decorative pieces to different rooms for a refresh. Wardrobe feeling blah? Try pairing pieces together that you haven’t before or learn to layer in a creative way – a sweater over a dress feels like a brand new skirt. A new skincare product calling your name? Scour your cabinets for any sample packets you’ve forgotten about or see if you can DIY something from your kitchen!

Saving isn’t the most fun and I’m not telling you to live your life like a penny-pincher. If something really catches your eye, try the three-day rule. Instead of making an impulse buy, wait a few days. If you’re still dreaming about the item, consider making the purchase. Giving yourself a cooling-off period will help you know it’s something you truly want.

We all want to travel – but we don’t get things by simply wanting them. We have to put a little work into it. Unless you plan to win the lottery tomorrow, building a savings is essential to fund your dream trip. Cutting back on spending is one way to make that happen.

It isn’t easy – I get it – but with these tips, it’ll become a habit. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself with a little extra cash to see the world!

If you want to see more of my money-saving tips, check THIS PAGE out. I also have an awesome article with tons of advice on how to negotiate more time off to see the world HERE.

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