A recurring shopping list prevents short term impulse buying and enables long term gains!
Picture this: it’s Valentine’s Day, a birthday, a winter solstice celebration. A time of gift-getting! However, you don’t know what you want. Naturally, you remember two days later! This has happened to me too many times. As a result, I’ve started keeping a shopping list of things I want to buy myself as a treat. If a gift reception occurs before I get the chance to swipe my own credit card, I have an answer to the age old question: “What can I get you this year?”
There’s really only three choices: waste your money on something you don’t need, but get it right now; put your desired gift on a shopping list for later; or put it on a shopping list until the next gift holiday!
I tend to start such a shopping list around December 26. Does that sound crazy? If I’ve taken the winter to get into a new habit or a new hobby, chances are I want merch or a book to support that hobby. The list prevents me from spending money on that thing… for now. Who’s to say that come Valentine’s Day my new hobby won’t already sit in the “abandoned” pile? On the other hand, if I’ve pursued the hobby at a steadily increasing pace, that hobby support could come at no cost to me! It’s easy!
Here’s a few things that I’ve put on my current shopping list:
My Shopping List
- Cycling jerseys. I didn’t get any of these for the holidays, sadly! Meanwhile, so far I’ve gone on five rides on my bike! Aaron says that no one looks good in cycle jerseys. I wholeheartedly disagree. I think they scream athletic, committed, and passionate. I’m all three of those things, especially about getting faster on the bike!
- Bike lock. Oh, so there’s a pattern! I would love to bike to places, like my favorite internet cafe, rather than just do a random loop and come home. However, I wouldn’t want anyone to nab my bike while I’m inside drinking a tea and working on some code! A bike lock can help enable my ability to make that idea a reality. To clarify, I don’t think that the area of that specific cafe is sketchy. It probably is safe enough to leave my bike outside without a lock, but hey, better safe than sorry!
- Bike pedals and strap in shoes. This is where things can get really pricey! If you look at true cyclists, they’re wearing special shoes that lock into their pedals. When I stand up out of the saddle of my bike, I’m still able to pedal! However, my fear of my foot flying out, against gravity keeps me from accelerating. What if I go too fast and fall? Then I’ll be out for weeks! Having sneakers that lock into the bike could help stabilize me through those sprints.
- Cruelty-free sunscreen. Between morning runs and bike rides in the sun, I’m anticipating a much more tan year! However, if I want to stay golden and not, um, burnt to a crisp, I need a good sunscreen. It has to not enable oily breakouts, nor can it be tested on animals. To boot, it can’t cause cancer or kill coral reefs! I cannot believe that certain sunscreens have cancer-causing chemicals. We have to do better!
- Jeans. I have distressing news – I have two pairs of skinny jeans. One pair fits okay, and the other pair cannot be trusted through a big dinner. Yikes-a-roo! I have some cuffed jeans, but I think I need to reduce, and replace! Ugh, the idea of not being able to wear sweatpants to dinner bums me out so much. It’s so freeing!
In short, my current shopping list keeps my new cycling hobby at bay. Before I spend heaps of money on it now, only to put my bike in the garage and never take it out again, I add things I want to the shopping list. Who knows? Maybe this summer, post-birthday, I’ll be cycling and looking spiffy at the same time! How’s that for a manifestation?