STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Well, I don't believe in "shopping bans" per se, because they sort of remind me of diets. But I have been buying a lot less lately, and the #1 tip I can give you is to not shop -- don't look or browse. It helps, I swear!

I'm with wicked when it comes to making lists for things I need.  I've long been a fan of making lists (I have my list in Excel).  I make a list of things I want and need and don't buy anything unless it's been on the list for at least 2 weeks (limiting my impulse buys).  I also put myself on a bi-monthly allowance, so I don't overdraw my debit card.  Also, the credit card stays at home when I go shopping. 

Also, if you're finding you're getting really tempted, limit your time in the shopping and fashion part of this forum.  I find there are so many cute things that all of these girls get that I want so the shopping and fashion part can be a huge temptation to go out and buy stuff. 

i've got to third the making lists part. Start experimenting with your clothes (sometimes its fun to wear clothes you've "forgotten" about, but still like) and see what silhouettes/pieces are actually missing. I never fully go on a shopping ban, but I always try to limit my purchases, for closet space as much as $$$. I know that I don't need another pair of flared jeans for the rest of my life, or lightweight jackets or blazers. What I DO need is a winter jacket, skinny jeans, nice sweaters that make me happy to put them on, comfy shoes, a white button down... If you save your money for a while, you can limit your purchases to only the ones you need or want the most. Also, sometimes its fun to be cheap- come up with fun and interesting ways to entertain yourself for free. I know in NYC there are tons of cheap/free happy hours, etc. Also, you could look at some of the cutting money tips in general chat- there was a couple of threads devoted to the topic there. Maybe you could save money in other ways if you don't want to completely stop shopping, or do both and save a TON of money. You could also start an ING savings account (3.4% interest) and watch your money grow, plus once I figure out how to do it- i'm going to title and split the funds- like "Shopping money", "Vacation Fund", "Rent Money", etc. so I can transfer the money out of there as soon as I make a charge on my cc. I prefer cc's to debits and cash because I get 1% back and its always better to pay someone the very last day that you owe them money. I always pay in full, but that way, I could make an expensive purchase the first day of my billing cycle and not have to pay it off for almost 2 months. Then the money could accrue interest during that time, or be used to make stock gains, etc. You just have to be careful.

I'm kind of on a shopping ban right now, as well... I'm not completely banning myself, but I'm very, very limited. I started a thread on this a while back, and the girls were very helpful.

http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=44784&subForumID=102179&action=viewTopic&commentID=3973757

Do you have a goal? Maybe you could pick something that you've wanted forever but is too expensive or something you wouldn't ordinarily buy. I started my ban with the intent to save enough money for a significant down payment on a car. I taped pictures of the car I want to my credit cards so that if I pulled out a card to buy something, I'd think twice (although this never happened). I limit my time in the shopping and fashion forum... I just browse and stay away from any threads that sound like they'll tempt me. I try to stay away from my favorite stores, and when I get the shopping itch, I leave my cash and cards at home. If there's something I think I really need, I'l check out the ST data base to find a code or do an eBay search (so at least I'm saving money). If not, I give it a few days to see if I'm still thinking about it... usually, I'm not.

As far as online shopping... I try to stay away from my favorite websites, too. When I can't resist, I add the things I want to my shopping cart but don't buy them. I'm starting to make wish lists for Christmas hints, and I found that this is helpful, too. When I'm done "shopping" I go to the Toyota website and "build" the car I want. It reinforces the reason that I'm on the ban in the first place and makes the sweater I was just lusting over seem so insinificant.

I set up an ING acount, like Lynnie suggested, and deposit a certain amount of money each week. It makes more sense than putting your money in a savings account... you're money is collecting interest this way. I keep only enough money to pay my bills in my checking account. Everything else I have is in my ING account... it takes a few days to transfer money back to your checking account, thus making impulse buys impossible.

I'm sure I have lots more to say, but everyone pretty much summed it up, I think. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or feel like you just can't do it anymore ... I feel like a shopping ban expert by now.

Good Luck!!