One Spending Story

July 2, 2022

Having a lot of time on Facebook made me drown myself in online shopping. I don't know what got into me when I haphazardly comment "mine, steal, and grab" on stuff that is not really on my "needs" list. The power of conditioning is real. When the online seller posts a teaser of a certain kind of bundle that she would post soon. I unconsciously made a mental note to be online during that time so I can grab myself an item or two.

For the past few months, I was stuck on that unhealthy spending habit. Sometimes we should indeed buy ourselves treats but in my case, I have come overboard. That's at least based on my self-evaluation.

These are some of the stuff that I bought online. They are beautiful but some don't fit me. Some have fabric that isn't my type. I don't wear them all. Some are just sitting in my already-full little cabinet in my boarding house.

Whenever I see them, I'm reminded of how unapologetically extravagant I was. I have been planning to be frugal and save as much as I can but when I see them, I get so disappointed in myself.

As a result, I tried selling them to my friends one at a time. It was my roommate who saw the stripes-white and blue crop top in my cabinet and she liked it. So I sold it to her for a very reasonable price. Then, I send these photos to my friends and I'm glad that each item is sold one at a time. I'm now free from the guilt I accumulated from purchasing stuff that I don't need.

Here are the dresses! Off to their new owner. Not wasted and not just sitting in a cabinet. Used to help the owner slay every day.

I didn't only declutter my space. I also did a favour to the dresses by handing them over to people that could make wise use of them. Plus, I got my money back.

Slowly, I learned to sell without being shy and it's not that bad. My mother would always tell me not to be shy when I sell because robbers don't get shy when they rob. lol. With this new skill that I discovered, I might consider online selling. Why not turn my habit into a possible business venture. Maybe someday. God-willing!

In other news, I'm already a silver member of Shopee. The last time I checked I only need to complete two orders before June 30 ends for me to be a gold member. What a milestone! Something that shouldn't be proud of.

I'm glad that I have held myself together that I wasn't able to complete two more orders. Hays. Since the moment I installed the app, I have made 32 orders and it was just June last year that I first ordered in Shopee.

Not to mention the six orders that I placed in Lazada. I totalled all the purchases that I did in both apps and I summed up P14, 910. P1,237 from Lazada and P13,673 from Shopee. The most expensive items are the solar lights I bought for our home and my grandma's home. So, it wasn't that bad anymore as my grandma refunded me. The rest are the stuff I purchased for myself and my family members.

If only I haven't installed these apps, I might afford to buy myself a boyfriend now. Huhu.

What is the silver lining of all of these?

I have learned my lesson. I know it's all over social media but let me reiterate, "Only buy what you need!" And if you want something, think about it over and over again. Wait for two weeks, if you still want it then buy it. If not, don't spend a penny on it anymore.

There's no way we can satisfy ourselves. We would always want more things after getting the other. We want more even when we don't need it.

I've had enough. I figured I should stop spending haphazardly if I don't want to work forever. I don't want to lead a life that lives from paycheck to paycheck. The goal is to be so financially independent that I would forget that it's payday.

That's about it, friends. Thanks for reading. Until next time.