5 Bad Shopping Habits You Need to Break

(Reuters)

When it comes to shopping, we’re all guilty of a few infractions.

Namely, buying stuff we don’t really need, getting caught up in owning “it” items, and occasionally shelling on for gorgeous things we can’t quite afford. However, there’s a difference between falling victim to these practices once in a rare while and developing full-blown habits that can impact your bank account and your sense of style (not to mention precious closet real estate.)

#1. You sacrifice real-life stuff for fashion stuff.

As much as we adore fashion and shopping and take it very seriously, let’s be real: A pair of Isabel Marant boots is certainly not more important than eating for a month, paying your student loans, or making rent. Really want those boots? Set aside a little every month to eventually buy them upfront and guilt-free (the best way!)

#2. You consistently buy things that don’t gel with your lifestyle.

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to beautifully impractical pieces now and again, but it’s a bad habit to have if you constantly spend on items that don’t fit into your lifestyle. Are you a pre-school teacher who would never wear heels to work? You might not want to shell out $600 for those Manolo Blahniks right now. Do you work at a conservative hedge fund? You probably won’t get much wear out of that wild printed Kenzo suit. Why spend your hard-earned money on things that won’t get use?

#3. You don’t play the wait-a-day game.

This is a common mistake we all make, but it’s the one tip that’ll help you not regret anything you buy. Every time you’re shopping for something you love but don’t really need, put it back on the rack (or remove it from your online cart) and wait a full 24 hours. If you can’t stop thinking about it, it’s a sign that it might be worth it. You’d be shocked how often we forget about items that we almost buy when we put a little time and distance between it and us.

#4. You don’t treat big purchases like big purchases.

Think about it: When someone buys a new car or a new house, they don’t buy a bunch of smaller, cheaper houses and cars a few months later, right? So if you buy that $2,000 investment bag, why buy five other, cheaper bags soon after? You'll have buyer’s remorse both for the pricey bag you’re not using as much, and the cheaper bags, which you know you didn’t really need.

#5. You get caught up in one-season wonders.

Let’s be clear: We certainly don’t think every spurge needs to be something “classic” that’ll last till the end of time (where’s the fun in that?) but we do think dropping a ton on something that’s so obviously the “it” item from one collection (ahem, Alexander Wang‘s $1,000 Parental Advisory sweatshirt, or Givenchy’s $900 floral Birkenstock-style slides) is silly. Why? Because there’s an excellent chance that, after the season is up and the luster starts to fade, you might start to feel that your splurge was partially due to the immediacy of having something coveted, rather than having something you absolutely adore.