Jamie Friedlander The author, Jamie Friedlander, stopped shopping online for two months to see how it would affect her spending.
- I decided to stop shopping online for two months to see how it would affect my personal spending.
- At first, quitting was harder than I expected, but I ended up learning several surprising things about my finances.
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To say I have an online shopping problem would be, by all accounts, an understatement.
I have an affinity for unique, rare dresses (hello, Anthropologie), leather sandals, purses and handmade journals - the list goes on.
I don't spend beyond my means, but I definitely spend more than I should. My husband and I shelled out for a couple of big-ticket items this summer, including kitchen sink repairs, property taxes, and an upcoming trip to the Pacific Northwest. As I looked at our finances, I realized my online shopping was a bit excessive. I could definitely cut back in order to prioritize these other expenses.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to take extreme measures: A self-imposed, two-month online shopping ban.
Here are seven important things I learned along the way.