“The Shopping Creed”-Rules to Shop By

I have recently (well, not so recently actually) been finding that I am addicted to online sample sales. The daily new crop of brands that go on sale at 11 am or 12 pm ET. The countdown clock that suggests urgency – miss out on it now and never see it again.  The pretty pictures with up-close zoom features showing you every button, buckle, grommet, crease, stitch and suppleness of fabric. And of course, the original price slashed only to show the 40-50-75% off discount.

Well, needless to say, the economy sucks.  And I need to be responsible. With a 50/50 chance of the garment working and only being able to return things for credit (meaning, no refunds, ever), I decided to put a stop to my obsessive online shopping. I discussed this with a good friend (an equally obsessive sample sale troller) and she drafted The Shopping Creed – a list of guidelines that we must both follow in order to purchase (or not purchase) a garment from online sample sales. And here, I share it with you.

You CAN’T buy it if:

• You have it already in some way, shape or form
• You can only wear it to an imaginary event (“What if a friend gets married in Greece? I have to have this!”)
• It’s being sold for less than 60% off
• It’s a T-shirt over $30 (with shipping)
• You’re not sure it’s going to fit
• You’re being daring and it’s not normally something you wear (more than likely you won’t wear it)
• It’s a pair of Jeans (they never fit)
• It’s final sale and non-returnable

You CAN buy it if:

• YOU LOVE IT and have been waiting for it to go on sale
• You can definitely resell it on ebay (must snag images of it from the sale)
• You DO have a friend getting married in Greece and it’s the only thing that makes sense
• It’s more than 70% off
• You will wear it ’til it’s dying day
• It’s a staple item that your closet needs
• It’s a gift for a friend
• You’ve asked a friend when you’re in a bind and got the OK

Of course, we laugh at ourselves for our need for something like this. But, I have to say that it has forced me to really evaluate my shopping choices, even in the last few days. No, I don’t need the split sleeve silk top in royal blue.  And no, I don’t need the maxi dress in emerald green silk jersey (because I already have five maxi dresses and all of them are gorgeous. Plus I have not enough days in the week to wear them all!).  Don’t even look at the JBrand denim sale – jeans need to be tried on in person before buying them.

Hey, I need to employ the help of others when combatting my own personal compulsive behaviors. I lost weight with the help of a group. I consult good friends when making major choices in my life to get different insights.  I work in marketing and that’s what we do, working in groups, that is.  Challenges are faced easier and more successfully with a partner or buddy.

So T and I face sample sales together and together we say a definitive “Yes” to those garments that will change our lives and “No” to those that only take up space in the closet (and my life).