You know we’re all about making life easier and less stressful at Capsule because honestly, when you stop to think about it, we are juggling a HELL of a lot at one go. This ongoing series, Work Smarter, Not Harder, powered by our pals at Ninja Kitchen, will help you with tips that are actually practical and helpful in getting through the week as unscathed as possible. We always want to hear from you, too – any tips you have for any of the topics we cover, please share with us at hello@capsulenz.com so we can then, in turn, share them with our readers. Sometimes it’s the simplest thing that gets the wheels of organisation turning just that little bit better! In this instalment, we look at our shopping habits because in this never-bloody-ending cost of living crisis, all savings count. But more than that, we want to know that we’re getting our money’s worth with what we’re spending, and now it’s all about quality over quantity and smart shopping!
Capsule x Ninja
Look I’m going to be the first to admit that I absolutely LOVE a spot of retail therapy. Bad day? Treat. Good day? Treat. Tuesday? TREAT.
But such frivolity these days is one, stupid and two, well, not an option – but regardless of the cossie livs, such spending has resulted in a bulging wardrobe full of extremely average clothes, a weird amount of small appliances that promised to perform various miracles around the house (most of those are from the old wine/Instagram shop combo) and kitchen gadgets I can’t remember the supposed purpose of.
I wasn’t shopping smart. I was just… shopping. And potentially using it as some sort of therapy lite.
My husband and I are on the homebuying journey, so that’s meant I’ve had to put a stop to the impulse spending and focus on growing that deposit, so trust and believe I have looked into how to shop for anything whilst on a budget. Here’s some of the tried and true hacks I’ve employed lately to help me shop smarter: [Ed’s note – they really did work, Kelly’s just bought a house! Yippee!].
1. Ask: ‘Do I ACTUALLY Want This, or Do I Want to Feel Better?
This one is probably the hardest to actually face because you have to be a little bit vulnerable here. As I’ve already mentioned, I can use shopping as a coping mechanism, or as a way to inject some dopamine into life. But, in a shock to no one, not even me, this is nooooot a healthy way to be, mentally or financially. So before I’ve added to cart, I’ve tried to ask myself ‘does this fill a genuine need, or am I just trying to escape, add or hide feeling?’ It’s mostly the latter, so I’ve tried my best to replace that urge to whip out the credit card (metaphorically ofc, I memorised those numbers LONG ago) with something else – a walk, a bath, a book, anything.
2. Use Your Investigative Prowess for Good and RESEARCH Your Purchases
I’m the girl her friends call when they need something *investigated* (good to know that journalism degree is useful in more ways than one) and I can find out all the dirt on an ex in a jiffy. In saying that, this is a superpower many women possess, and it’s now time to turn said power into looking up what we’re buying, rather than who we’re stalking. I’m not talking about becoming a full-blown Consumer NZ analyst, but read reviews, do some digging, look up social media videos and find out if your wished-for item is legit, or a hyped-up Instagram scam.
3. Choose Fewer, Better Brands that Offer True Value
Once you find a brand that absolutely nails it for you – fit, quality, values, performance – then just lean in. I’ve done this with skincare (Dermalogica), clothes (Harris Tapper – well, for fancy stuff) makeup (Bobbi Brown and Bare Minerals) and home appliances (Ninja and Shark). It’s not boring, it’s smart, as you build curated, considered collections of stuff you know you can go back to time and time again.
4. Create a ‘Not Yet’ Wishlist
This one has actually been a gamechanger, as I still get the thrill of almost buying something, but it stops my impulse purchases. Instead of buying something immediately, I will pop it on a wish list in my notes app and wait at least a week. If I’m thinking about it still, and if I can afford it, I’ll go for it. I’ve managed to weed out so many purchases this way and this is a habit I’ll be sticking to.
5. The 30-Use Rule
This is where your value prop really needs to come in. Once something gets through the first ‘Not Yet’ layer, then it comes up against the ’30-Use Rule’ test. I ask myself – ‘Will I wear this 30 times? Will I use this more than 30 times? Will I reach for it over and over?’ This has steered me towards more timeless, useful and practical purchases (black and brown bags over colours of the season, for example).
6. Buy Things That Have More than One Use
Value is your friend here again – if you’re going to spend your hard-earned cash, do it on something that can be used in different ways, or achieves different vibes. Sometimes value does mean shelling out a little more up-front to save more down the line – quality clothing, appliances like the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 that I can’t stop harping on about because it’s literally the best thing that’s ever graced my kitchen bench, the hair blow-out brush that won’t cause your hair to fall out in a singed mess.
7. Delete Your Saved Cards
I’m including this one even though it doesn’t apply to me as I have a very selective ability to come over all Rainman when it comes to credit card numbers, but my bestie, who’s been on this penny pinching journey with me, says this has helped her heaps – the simple act of having to dig into her wallet slows her down and helps her ask all the aforementioned questions.
8. Be Conscious of What You’ve Actually Got
I’m so guilty of buying the same thing over and over again because that’s the thing that screams out at me in shops – and it’s always collared shirts. Linen, cotton, striped, plain, bright, I have them all, and many in veery similar colours and styles. I was actually horrified to see how many I had and how much money I had wasted on them. I now have lists of what I own, so when I’m out I can make sure what I am buying goes with as much as possible.
9. Know Your ‘Worth It’ Categories
I asked myself what I actually value, and what I think is worth spending money on, and what matters to me – NOT what 1am Instagram tells me I need. For me, it’s food and cooking, clothing and skincare. Anything else doesn’t have to be top-shelf; it just has to do the job.
10. Don’t Be Perfect, Be Smarter
I’m not a perfect person (I really hope you have the Hoobastank song in your head now) and even though I am doing FAR better with my stupid shopping, I know that I’ll still fall at a hurdle on a bad day. I’m still allowed fun purchases – but it’s about making sure the shopping still feels good, and right, long after the dopamine hit wears off. Less clutter, more clarity, and less regret, more reward.