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Shopping With Intention: A How-to Checklist
Why are sale and clearance racks SO compelling? They’re like the sirens to Ulysses, calling me to come take a peek. Just a quick little look to see what’s new, because I might find JUST THE THING to change my life–and at 70 percent off, no less! What budget? What schedule? It’s as if I’m a heat-seeking missile, and cheap clothes are the sun. Or it was, until I started shopping with intention.
What is this way of clothes shopping, you might ask? Well, it’s like this: Before I impulsively plunk down $3 for a new cardigan (because it was ONLY $3!), I ask myself a few questions. All of my clothing purchases now have to meet these criteria, which are stricter than Gwyneth Paltrow’s diet:
Criteria for Shopping With Intention
Is it in my budget?
What? You don’t have a clothing budget? (Look of horror.) Just kidding, I didn’t either until I started shopping with intention. It helps to first get a handle on how much you’ve been spending on clothing. Turns out, I wasn’t spending as much as I thought, so it’s a good thing I didn’t pick a number and run with it! Make sure yours is no more than 3 percent of your take-home pay. Then use a free budget tracking app to record purchases as you make them, right there on your phone. No excuses about forgetting.
