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As a girl, shopping is something I love to do. We always adore those
shoes, bags, clothes and more. I was on a phase before when I am addicted to
shopping and I would just get anything I want in a whim. So much for being a
shopaholic eh (cough, impulse buyer, cough).
I’ve learned my financial lesson the hard way. All of my
income went to clothes I rarely use. Or perhaps a pair of shoes that didn’t
even sees the light of the sun and even the moon and more. Even worst, I incurred a lot of debt
on my credit card. My face is absolutely horrifying every time I would open
that credit card letter. Simply imagine a scene in a horror movie in the victim’s
face. That’s my face right there.
After I settled my shopping debt, I know it is time for me
to do something with my shopaholic attitude. This time, I incorporated WIN in
it.
So what is WIN?
WIN = Wait for IT Now
I know it is supposed to be WFIT but it doesn’t read right.
So let’s stick with WIN as it sounds cool.
So what is this WIN strategy?
Every time I would find something I like above 2,000
(shopping border), I would just Wait for It Now. This means that instead of
buying that item now, I would simply wait and sleep on it.
Now that sounds absurd right? Why would I wait and sleep on
it? Here are the reasons why.
Wait for the sale
This is one reason why I put WIN in shopping. Most of the
time, if I would simply wait on it, and sooner or later the item would go on
sale. I have this experience wherein I bought one expensive pair of shoes. I was
happy with my purchase, no regret at all. After three days I went to the same
store only to find out that the pair was now on sale. It was even 50% off. Can you
imagine my dismay? I could have saved close to 1,500. Oh the horror! I felt my
heart was taken out of me and I was gasping for air, hyperventilating and angry
(cough exaggeration cough). But you know what I mean. That is why when there’s
a store I would really like, I signed up to be included in their customer
repository. They normally text or email you if they will have a sale. Then that’s
the time I would go there and check if the items I want are on sale and below
my 2,000 border. Oh the feeling when you get to buy something below the retail
value (insert happy face here).
A chance to save
Instead of using a credit card to purchase the item, I tend
to put WIN in shopping. This means, I save up for it first before purchasing.
It may take a while before I get to have a chance to buy it however it is
always better to use cash instead of swiping my credit card. Plus, I am not
crippling my monthly expenses because of the purchase.
Knowing if it is a need or want
The beauty of the WIN strategy is that sooner or later you
will get to realize if that item is a need or a want. Oftentimes, when we shop,
we always see the items as a need that is why we rush it to the cashier. Not to
mention the pressure of the salesperson and their sweet words. However, when
you tend to wait for it, you will have the time to think about it. You can do
an assessment if that item is something you need or something you want. If it is
a want, then there’s no need to purchase it. In the end, you would be able to
save tons. If it is a need, then you will have to wait for it go on sale or
save up for you to be able to buy it.
If it’s meant for you, it’s for you
This is my boyfriend strategy every time we shop above the
2,000. We would come back every week or every month to the store to check out
if the item is still there. Then we wait for it to go on sale or save up for
it. If we come back with the money and if the item is still there, then it is
meant for me. If not, then boo too bad it’s not meant for me. But hey at least
I can use the money instead for another purpose.
P.S. To those doing the 52 Week Money Challenge and 52 Week Money Challenge Version 2, it is Week 4 already! Did you deposit the next amount yet?
P.P.S Want to know more about investing, savings, stock market and more, check out my reference here. You can download free ebooks and resources too.