I know that everyone reading this has most definitely, at some point in their life, gone on an impulsive shopping trip, whether it be online or in stores. And, I know that most of you have probably felt bad about yourself afterward for spending money that you weren’t planning on spending. Personally, I’ve gone on more than my fair share of these shopping excursions, but I’ve realized that I’m okay with that. In my honest opinion, I think that everyone should go on a shopping trip every now and again. And when you go on that trip, screw being guilty afterwards. Be happy, be excited. Go home, try on the new clothes that you bought and dance around in the mirror. Just feel good about yourself.
This semester has been pretty rough overall, with a boyfriend abroad in Spain and classes that are kicking my ass. The one thing in my life that has stayed constant is my love for clothes and online shopping. I spend countless hours a week scrolling through Poshmark and Curtsy, whether it’s during a lecture or sitting in my bed at night. Even though I have thousands of items saved to my likes list, I hardly ever actually buy anything because of this notion that I’m going to regret it afterward. Granted, I don’t have a lot of money in my bank account, but I have enough that I can buy one cheap shirt when I want.
With the little money that I do have in my bank account, I walked to Urban Outfitters after taking my first exam this semester. I was guilty before I even walked through the door, but I knew that I had failed my test and I wanted to do some shopping to get my mind off of it. After I searched through the entire store (focusing on the clearance section, obviously), I tried on three different shirts. Two of them looked amazing and fit me perfectly, and the other one was just a little too big. I sat there in the dressing room contemplating for at least 5 whole minutes whether or not to buy either shirt, even though they both looked great. Eventually, the impulsive shopper in me said “yes” and I brought them both to the counter. Both shirts were from the clearance section and my total charge was the same price as a dinner, but I could already feel the regret and guilt coming on from the second that I stepped outside of the store.
This guilt followed me all the way home, until I got back to my room. All three of my roommates were there and they forced me to try on my new clothes and have a fashion show. Dancing around the room to “Truth Hurts” in my cute new clothes with my roommates completely changed my perspective. So what if I impulsively went to Urban Outfitters just because school was stressing me out? So what if I spent some of the little money I had? I looked amazing and felt amazing. Just because you might not need new clothes, doesn’t mean that you don’t need a moment of feeling beautiful, sexy, and powerful. Clothes may be seen as superficial and materialistic, but I don’t buy that. Buying an outfit that makes you feel like an absolute queen is what every girl needs every now and then.
So next time you walk by Urban Outfitters, go in instead of forcing yourself to keep walking. Or, next time you scroll on Poshmark, buy something instead of incessantly adding items to your favorites tab. You deserve to have one moment of guilt-free indulgence.