Signs that you shop a lot (Oooh, saucy but true)

1. You Know the Delivery Guy by Name (and He Knows Your Dog’s Name)

When the courier starts asking, “Hey, no packages today? Everything okay?”—it’s a red flag. Bonus points if you’ve ever given him a Christmas gift because, let’s face it, he’s practically family at this point.

2. Your Cart Is Never Empty—Not Even in Your Sleep

You check out faster than Usain Bolt runs 100 meters. Or worse, you “just browse” at 2 a.m. and somehow wake up to a shipping confirmation email. Oops?

3. Your Wardrobe Has More Tags Than Your Instagram Posts

You own more “brand new, never worn” outfits than actual clothes you wear. And yet, every morning, you dramatically declare, “I have NOTHING to wear!”

4. Your Bank App Thinks You Work for Shein or Zara

Every other transaction is from an online store. Your savings account? Missing. Your bank statements? A tragic shopping diary. Your solution? “Maybe I’ll just budget next month.”

5. Returns Are Your Backup Plan for Regretful Decisions

You order five sizes just in case, knowing full well you’ll return at least three—if you even remember to return them at all. (RIP to all the “forgotten” return deadlines.)

Zara Loafers and My Broken Heart:

Yes, you guessed it—I’m talking about shopping. Specifically, the art (or tragedy) of clothes/shoes shopping.

Before we get into the serious talk, let me tell you a little story. So, I wanted loafers. Not just any loafers—the kind that make you look effortlessly classy, like you casually sip matcha lattes while reading Jane Austen. And since I am fully embracing my feminine era, I obviously had to get a pair.

I searched online, but all the high-quality ones were way out of my “girl-on-a-budget” price range. So I thought, “ZARA it is! No one will be able to tell the difference anyway.” (Famous last words.)

One fine Saturday morning, I dragged my man with me to Zara. There they were—the perfect loafers. Price tag? 10,000 yen. My brain whispered, “Maybe wait and save for better quality ones.” My impulse whispered back, “Hmm… nah, I’m good.” And just like that, I swiped my card.

I strutted out feeling like a fashion icon. Wore them for three hours, and by the end of the day—one shoe was already broken. I was devastated. I may have cried. (Okay, I cried.) Because excuse me? 10,000 yen for three hours of fashion??

But did I toss them? Of course not. I grabbed some super glue and gave those loafers one last chance at life. They’re still here, barely hanging on—just like some peoples self-respect.

That experience made me reflect on my other purchases. Most of my clothes aren’t even that expensive—I’m a full-time working adult, and half my wardrobe is from Uniqlo (which, honestly, is pretty solid). But I realized that fast fashion thrives on making us feel outdated every few months. Trends change so fast, and suddenly, what we bought last season feels embarrassing. So what do we do? We panic. We buy new clothes. We repeat the cycle.

Five Ways to Cure Your Shopaholic Brain:

1. The “Unsubscribe Like Your Life Depends on It” Method

Fast fashion brands have mastered the art of making you believe that you need another beige sweater. And those marketing emails? They’re basically hypnotic spells disguised as “Limited Time Offers.”

Solution? UNSUBSCRIBE FROM EVERYTHING. If you even think about clicking on a sale email, remind yourself that the last “70% OFF MEGA SALE” made you spend money on a dress that still has the tags on. Be ruthless. Block them like they’re your toxic relatives. If that doesn’t work, change your email to something embarrassing like “StopShoppingNow@broke.com”—every time you log in, you’ll remember your true financial status.

2. The “Make Yourself Suffer Before Buying” Rule

Before you buy something, put it through The 7-Day Torture Test:

• Step 1: See something you think you want? Cool. Don’t buy it.
• Step 2: Wait 7 days. No peeking. No saving it in your cart. Nothing.
• Step 3: If, after a week, you still want it and can imagine at least 5 different ways to wear it, then maybe—maybe—you can consider buying it.

95% of the time, you’ll forget it even existed by Day 4. This method is like ghosting your own impulses—it works.

3. The “Fashion Show of Shame” Approach

Instead of buying new clothes, go full runway mode in your bedroom. Put on all the forgotten outfits in your closet, blast some music, and strut in front of the mirror. If you find yourself saying “Wait… this is actually cute??”, congratulations—you just saved yourself $50.

Bonus tip: Take pictures of different outfit combos so next time you feel “I have nothing to wear”, you can scroll through your Lookbook of Financial Responsibility instead of clicking “Add to Cart.”

4. The “Calculate It in Food” Trick

Every time you want to buy something, convert the price into food.

• “That dress is $80?” That’s like 20 sushi rolls.
• “These shoes are $150?” That’s two months of oat milk lattes.
• “This Zara bag is $50?” That’s 5 fancy burgers.

The choice is simple: Do you want a new overpriced blazer that will sit in your closet, or do you want to be happilychewing on sushi rolls while making financially responsible choices? Exactly.

5. The “Make It Their Problem” Strategy

This one’s for when temptation hits HARD. If you’re about to buy something, text your most judgmental friend and say:

“I’m thinking of spending $200 on clothes I don’t need. Thoughts?”

Best-case scenario: They roast you so badly that you close the website out of sheer embarrassment.

Worst-case scenario: They encourage you… in which case, you need better friends (or friends who are also broke and will guilt-trip you).

For extreme cases, ask your partner or sibling to physically hide your wallet until the urge passes. If you find yourself crawling through the house at 2 AM looking for your card… well, we may need a different intervention.

Moral of the story: Fast fashion is like a bad relationship—exciting at first, but disappointing in the end. Maybe it’s time we rethink our choices before we let another pair of overpriced, three-hour-lasting shoes break our hearts (and wallets).

Do leave a comment below and tell me, what is your most recent regretful purchase? Also I am not judging you, I am always on your side.
 

Loads of luv

Hannah