This weekend, I made progress in a personal sense around shopping.

Over the life of my shopping "career" (is there a better terminology? I'm not sure), I've often gone on what my mom calls "a tear," where I get completely entraced by a thing, and I buy it a lot. I come by it honestly, I think, as Mom does the same thing (one year for Christmas, for example, I got 21 Barbie dolls. Another year, I got every book by a favoured author in hardbound editions).

I've always been fond of leopard print, but its prevelance in shops right now has led to a spree of buying things in leopard. It's quite nice, to be certain - I like being able to incorporate it in most of my outfits in some way, as I tend mostly towards solids, and it makes me feel as though I'm being adventurous in bringing in a pattern.

However, this weekend, when I was out, I found a few things in my ramblings that I rather liked... But they were lopeard. And it's not that I've gone off it, but for the first time, thanks to YLF, I thought to myself "If I get this item, I cannot wear these other items, because it will be too much."

And then I put them back.

I had a similar moment when my honey pointed out a pair of boots he thought would be nice for my collection -- and some voice from somewhere said "but those are too similar to [other boots], and I don't think I need another pair that close in profile and feeling." This is progress.

A third moment centered aroudn the Everly booties. I quite like them - but, to me, that is a very high ticket item for something that feels very trendy. I want them badly, but I feel they will look dated relatively quickly. And I stopped myself!

I've been working on developing stop points for myself - I feel as though my wardrobe and spending has gotten to a place I'm not entirely comfortable. I often find I justify a purchase because I do not spend very much, overall, on anything. I don't think I spend too much money, per se, overall - but I don't really know. I am not privy to the costs of my friends' wardrobes or budgets. I just know that *I've* gotten uncomfortable, and really, isn't that the part that matters? I do realise I'm cyclical, and in the most obvious way: spring and fall find me hemmorgaging money - as I rotate the closet from season to season, I purge what it outdated and no longer fits. The problem lies in stemming the tide once I've begun - the dopamine surge from finding something I like feeds the urge to continue to shop. And I don't always realise the pattern into which I've fallen until I get to the end of the month and realise I'm out of money. (The good news is that I've no charge cards whatsoever - everything I purchase must be in cash, and I do always pay my bills and obligations first. Small comfort.)

Regardless, this weekend, I put the brakes on myself in a few small ways. They're not huge, giant steps, but I'm quite proud of myself for making mental and emotional progress - I tend to be an emotional shopper, and have always bought what I fancy. Stopping myself and thinking it through is a major hurdle, because I know I tend towards obsessive thinking.