Author Topic: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.  (Read 5947 times)

TrulyStashin

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I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« on: October 23, 2013, 01:04:13 PM »
I'm in San Francisco for a business trip.  Staying in a swank hotel in the smack dab center of the ritzy part of town.  Within dead-cat swinging distance is EVERY RETAIL OUTLET KNOWN TO HUMANKIND.  From Aldo to Zara, they're all here and I hear them calling me, their siren song wafting in under my hotel room door as I try to sleep.

Before finding MMM, there is NO WAY I'd have the strength to resist.  I am a "posh bird" and I love my stylish clothes and feeling beautiful.

But I am now a Mustachian.  I have financial goals that transcend and override the seduction of sparkly things.  And boots (but just barely, on the boots.  Ohh, I soo love boots).

And so I post here in front of the whole Mustachian world  to declare that I WILL NOT ENTER INTO THE ABYSS.

I am here until Friday at midnight.  Give me strength.




footenote

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2013, 01:18:55 PM »
Hang in there, Truly. You can make it until Friday...!

VikingBraids

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2013, 01:21:17 PM »
UGH, sales tax in San Fran....no way!

No Name Guy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2013, 01:32:30 PM »
Well, just think of all that crap as the uniform of financial serfdom.....

lifejoy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2013, 02:12:03 PM »
Material things do not equal (true) happiness (usually). If it does, something is wrong with your life!

Picture your closet. Is it spacious? Will it have much space if you fill it up with a shopping spree?

Sometimes it helps me to picture the items in the stores being mass produced and arriving in the stockroom covered in plastic and being unwrapped and sold at 300x more than they are worth.

Good luck! :)

Lol I like that: "Uniform of financial serfdom" wow that's good!

Norrie

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2013, 02:38:36 PM »
Don't do it. Pretend that there's a flu epidemic, and that officials are recommending avoiding public places. That's actually kind of too fear-mongering for me, but you get the idea. Just don't.

On a side note, I've still never owned a pair of boots (no, not ever in my entire life). Every year I announce, "THIS will be the year in which I will buy boots", but I never do. They're too expensive, I'm too short to find ones that work well, I'm 1,000% clueless about style and have no idea what I'm doing, etc. The idea of being in the shopping area that you describe makes me sweat and want to hide under my desk.

TrulyStashin

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2013, 10:49:41 PM »
Thinking of 8.75% sales tax and "uniform of financial serfdom" got me through the day.

Victory.  For today.

My frugality muscle is stronger thanks to this challenge.

FinancialIndependenceTime

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2013, 01:02:39 AM »
Find one of those little wonderful, "Hole-in-the-wall" off of the beaten track, cafes and enjoy the food on the frugal side of life. Now that you are relaxed, venture out and find a quaint farmers market.

YOU CAN DO IT   YOU CAN DO IT   YOU CAN DO IT

happy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2013, 04:49:08 AM »
Yeah shopping SUKS

rockstache

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2013, 08:40:09 AM »
The idea of being in the shopping area that you describe makes me sweat and want to hide under my desk.

Me too. And I'm not actually a very good mustachian or anything. I just have hate shopping for clothes for myself that much. I really need clothes for work (literally some things have holes that I have patched, not very well) but have been putting it off for months and months.

Spudd

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2013, 08:57:29 AM »
If your urges become absolutely too strong, there are piles of thrift stores in SF. I typed "San Francisco thrift stores" into Google and it was a veritable gold mine.

lifejoy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2013, 09:36:25 AM »
Pay for experiences instead of stuff. Put a note on your visa or debit card that reminds you of your goal. Then every time you whip out your wallet, you'll be reminded of the tradeoff :)

TrulyStashin

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2013, 09:40:30 AM »
Thanks everyone.  I'm holding strong so far.  I actually crossed the street yesterday to avoid walking in front of Ross.  ;)

Right now, I'm going to put on running duds and run 2 miles to the UPS store and back to deposit a check.  I will run with such blazing speed that all the retail outlets will be a blur.   


legacyoneup

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2013, 02:37:04 PM »
And so I post here in front of the whole Mustachian world  to declare that I WILL NOT ENTER INTO THE ABYSS.

I am here until Friday at midnight.  Give me strength.

Did you watch Pacific Rim ? Just imagine those stores to be your own personal Kaiju's that you need to defeat.

Get ready, this is for real!

TrulyStashin

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2013, 03:59:25 PM »
To those who never enjoyed shopping, I'm sure this thread is a head-scratcher.  But, I am a reformed shopper so this is a badass day for me.

A friend of mine lives here and I called her yesterday.  We met for lunch today at a cheap but delicious Mexican place and had a grand time catching up.  Toward the end of lunch, she said "Peter (her husband) has just moved the shop to a new location right around the corner.  Let's walk over and see the new space!"  Refusing would have been awkward, so I agreed to go.

Peter owns a jewelry store.

I am very, very glad that I posted here because the public accountability of having done so helped me enter the high-end store, ohh-and-ahh over all the lovely baubles, give them both hugs and wish them well with the new space and then leave without having spent one dime.

I am a badass.

happy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #15 on: October 24, 2013, 04:05:33 PM »
:) well done

lifejoy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #16 on: October 24, 2013, 05:54:38 PM »
Woah. Your frugality muscle is gaining some major mass!!!!

Norrie

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #17 on: October 24, 2013, 06:42:05 PM »
You are indeed a complete bad ass. Nicely done.
And now I want to see Peter's store. While I have absolutely no interest in clothes or shoes, I really freaking love high end jewelry (ridiculous, I know).

lifejoy

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2013, 12:07:39 PM »
Norrie - it's a major weakness of mine as well. I have to remind myself that I can't wear it all at once (after one necklace, a pair of earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, and three rings... what more could I wear??) so I REALLY do not need to add to my collection.

But damn, it shore is perty!

TrulyStashin

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #19 on: October 25, 2013, 03:48:31 PM »
Just hours to go and I am certain that I'll make it as I have plenty to do between now and the 9:45 PM trip to the airport.

And, fwiw, I look smashing today in jeans that I bought in 2007, a $2 zebra-print scarf, an old silver belt and from Goodwill: a cute top, sweater, and shoe-boots.  Stylish and budget-friendly.

As I fly out of town, I'm going to give a giant middle finger to the swanky shopping district that failed to liberate my money from me.  Ha!  Take that, sukkas!

Norrie

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Re: I will not shop. I will not shop. I will not shop.
« Reply #20 on: October 25, 2013, 04:37:33 PM »
Nicely done! I'm seriously proud of you.
Now I wish that even just a smidge of your fashion sense would somehow rub off on me.