Delayed Gratification | THE FINANCIAL HACK

I took a trip to H&M Store this morning. There was a location nearby that opened over the weekend. A 10 minute drive to Uptown Village sounded a whole lot better than a 25 minute drive to the nearest location at Northpark Mall. I heard the prices were reasonable and the clothing was trendy. Ehhh. I’m not really a “trendy” dresser. I opt for more “classic” pieces which I believe compliment my personality. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not some snot who turns my nose up and frowns upon things that don’t suit me. For those that remember me from my YouTube vlogging days, YOU KNOW ME…. AND THAT AINT ME, but I digress.

I made a pit stop at Starbucks for a Venti upside down Caramel Macchiato with extra whip then headed for the ATM. I gave myself a $100 budget. That was NON-NEGOTIABLE. If my purchases totaled $105.32, something was going back on the rack. Seriously. Unfortunately, I didn’t purchase anything. Or maybe good fortune was on my side. I probably would have had buyer’s remorse before I got to the car. I tweeted earlier this morning although I saw a few attractive items in the store, nothing grabbed me. I refused to make a purchase just because I was there. I did walk around the store twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I saw some button down shirts that could have worked for me, but decided against them. Then I saw a couple of blouses that may have worked, but they looked a little flimsy and thin. I’m sure I would have found fault with any and everything that caught my attention. Could it be I wasn’t in the right headspace? Could it be since meeting financial goals is my focus, not to mention I already have a closet FULL of clothes, something didn’t “feel right.” Something was off. I instantly felt the guilt of wasting $100 just to say “Hey! I went to H&M and this is what I purchased.”

One thing I look for in clothing is “quality.” I’ll take quality over quantity any day of the week. To be honest, the higher-priced items were of better quality than the lower-priced items. I saw a couple of dresses in the $50 range that would have worked for me, but in all honesty, I could find the same style of dress at one of my many favorite thrift stores I patronize for half the price and the dress would most certainly have a label in it. See where I’m going with this?

I left the store empty handed and stopped at a nearby Target which carries career clothing in my style and price range. No luck there either. Again, it’s the headspace I’m in. I’m wasn’t in “shopping mode,” I was in “saving mode” and had been there since BEFORE I left home. I’ve got a good system going so why disrupt things now? Honestly, I didn’t want to spend my money on clothing. Was my mission today based on a NEED or a WANT? Well, that’s a “no brainer.” At least it is if you’ve read this far. I WANTED to buy clothing from H&M, I didn’t NEED to. I WANTED to buy clothing at Target, I didn’t NEED to. I did however purchase this sweatshirt: