No Buy November

I make it very well known on the blog, on my social media, to my friends, my family, my co-workers, the people on the street(ok that's a lie) that I have a shopping problem.

I'm pretty sure I get it from my mother who, when I was younger, was constantly shopping. Between handbags and home goods, the woman could shop for hours. I actually can't stand shopping with her because it takes FOREVER to get her out of the store.

With that being said, it's in my genes to love to shop. The issue has gotten worst as I've gotten older because clearly, I have some more money in my pocket now than I did when I was 16 years old. With every pay check I get, I find something to buy. I plot my purchases weeks in advance, gearing up for when I can click onto the website of my choice and buy it.

I sometimes can actually feel the addiction flowing through my veins and I just need to buy something. My goodness, it's a huge issue.

I mean, it could be worst. I always pay my bills on time, I'm paying my student loans, and then I shop. It does become an issue where I shop so much after my bills are paid that I don't have money to buy a coffee.

It also doesn't help that my mom is kind of fed up with getting packages addressed to me every day and I don't want to listen to her yelling anymore. (I really sound like an adult, don't I?)

It hit me the past few weeks, because I spent so much money on nonsense in October. I had to recently put $300 into my car for new brakes, and money is starting to make me nervous. I need to stop spending money on frivolous items. I don't need that lipstick from Rite Aid, I don't need another candle, I could put that money into my savings account and start really saving for an apartment, or my own car and stop sharing with my sister.

I also am starting to get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have. I feel like I'm drowning in my clutter and it needs to stop. I've gotten a lot better at organizing, throwing old things away, and clearing the clutter in a way that makes me feel relived.

It was just recently that I decided to do No Buy November. I've tried this before -- a few years ago I gave up shopping for Lent and I succeeded.

My goal is to not buy anything I don't need -- no random trips to the drugstore, no Sephora runs, minimal food & drink purchases. I really want to see if I could do this so I know that I can. I have no will power but I want to prove it to myself.

There will be two acceptations -- Christmas shopping for my family on Black Friday & Cyber Monday AND the Sephora VIB sale which I've heard is coming up next week. This is the semi annual sale that Sephora does where VIB and VIB Rogue gets 20% off their entire purchase. This doesn't come along too often and as a new VIB, I'm giving myself a pass. Otherwise, that is it. I am buying NOTHING in November.

If I can achieve this, I will try to do it in December too.

Who wants to do it with me? We can help each other battle the shopping addiction :)