Holy cannoli I am so surprised by the feedback to my story that I just unsubscribed from J.Crew emails! Rest assured that I too was a die-hard Crew fan (and am still cheering for a turnaround!). I thought I would take a few minutes out of my lunch hour and explain...
This week, Chris and I have had a lot of open and candid discussions about our financial goals and how we spend our money. It may seem to funny to read this after reading my last post on building a classic wardrobe, but the reality is that even I have become a reactive shopper vs. a proactive shopper. I may pride myself in my curated wardrobe, but I'm a perfectionist and am constantly buying and replacing items in my closet in search of the "perfect" version of everything. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I've got a bad habit of replacing and perfecting things that are already fine! As Chris and I were talking, we came to the conclusion that most of our impulse shopping comes from online browsing... every day I'd open my email, and eventually I'd click through some sale email or Instagram ad and buy something.
This week for example, both Chris and I realized that we had spent over $200 combined at GANT.com because we saw they were having a (rare) big sale. Did I buy two classic button-ups that I will wear forever? Yes. Will I donate two button-ups that I have? Yes. Are the ones I am donating really worn out and ill-fitting? No, they aren't. We had a heart-to-heart with ourselves that while we are dedicated to the process of minimalism, we haven't really decreased our consumption as much as we should.
When I thought of the brands that trigger impulse shopping the most for us, J.Crew was first on the list. For some reason, even though the quality and selection lately have been dismal, I can always find something to buy. And when I think about the items I am first to replace when I do find a great investment piece, they are also often J.Crew.
There will always be a few tried-and-true favorites that I will happily purchase from J.Crew (they are included in my classics post, below), but they aren't impulse buys. When one of them wears out, I will proactively visit my local J.Crew and replace them. I hardly even wait for them to go on sale when they do need replacing because it's so infrequent.
To be fair, I didn't just unsub to J.Crew. Since our talk this weekend, C and I have been putting a lot of thought into where we're overspending, overcommitting, and how we can simplify. Since Sunday, I've unsubbed from nearly every single retail email I receive. When I need something, I know where to find it.
This also isn't just about shopping and finances - now that we have Nell, C and I are a lot more conscious about how we spend our time. We've realized that too much of it is spent on our phones. In the photo above, I'm in Maine with a group of my close friends, on a gorgeous beach at sunset. And I'm on my phone. I have no idea what I'm looking at (probably Instagram) but doesn't it seem outrageous that I'd choose my PHONE over being present in that moment? Unsubbing from an unnecessary "noise" will also help me with compulsively checking emails, etc. when I should spend more time being present.
So, in summary, C and I have set an aggressive 5-year financial goal that we feel will set up our family for success AND will help us prioritize both how we spend our money and our time. Because we know that small, attainable goals work best at keeping us on track, we've set an initial goal of not shopping online (at all - including Amazon) until September 1. I just realized how nutty this post must seem in the midst of the #NSale and Prime Day madness, but if you are feeling similarly overwhelmed, feel free to join us!
Lastly, I'd love to hear in the comments if this sort of post is interesting. This type of content is actually easy and quick for me to write and would be a realistic regular series as we work toward our family goal. Let me know!
