I wish I had discipline!
I’m really bad when it comes to shopping. Sometimes I feel like I’m the main character in confessions of a shopaholic.

Yes I hate shopping centres I try and avoid them as much as possible and never go out on a Saturday or a Thursday they seem to be so jammed packed on those days

good on you, I too only use butcher, grocer and farmers markets . I save lots of money….

I am fortunate that I am a very discipline type ( probably takes after my controlling mother ) . Anyway , I can browse without spending on anything as I observe items and compare prices so that in future , you will know what the bargains are. There are countless times when it is just groceries because I don’t need anything else, but I find some sales are dodgy because they are not really discounts and can be misleading to consumers. You are right don’t bother looking if you don’t need anything .

Great advice really! Interesting reading the comments as well!

yes i am trying this one. we shop for boredom sometimes and should be saving!

I usually only go to the supermarket. That’s enough for me.

I haven’t been to a large shopping centre for years! I hate the crowds, hate having to trawl around looking for a parking space and hate that I invariably never find what I want! I love my local shopping strip! It has everything I need – greengrocers, supermarket, newsagent, a couple of gift shops and plenty of cafes for a well earned Latte! I’d rather give my custom to the local small businesses than line the pockets of the big conglomerates any day!

This has been something we’ve done for a while. The personal touch of our local smaller stand alone stores is often lost in the big centres. Also, since we do a lot of outdoor based activities which often involve drives thru the country side to get to National Parks etc we now take an esky to bulk buy or stock on on fresh produce that the farmers often sell on the side of the road. Not only are their costs lower but the quality is unbeatable.

Im luCky here. I live rural so the nearest shops is 30 kms away. We stock up on supplies at home so our house is like a supermarket. We cant just go buy a chocolate when we feel like one. When we go into town its like paying bills but some of these are done online now. We make a list before we go. Have lunch before shopping so we dont extra buy on impulse. Then we go to right price when we go to adelaide 2 and a half hours away.

You must be so disciplined! I end up finding myself looking at online stores then! I find it hard to pass up lol

great advice. esp with kids, less stress and save money! also buying second hand is good, im addicted to my local buy and sell pages

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  • • mom93821 replied
    • 15 Apr 2015 , 5:39 am

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  I buy second hand too as it does save lots of money and is a lot of fun too.

I always shop local and small as it supports mainly local small business operators.

I agree. I usually only go to our big shopping centre about once a month. We used to go just for something to do and ended up spending on things we didn’t really need. Now I get all the things I need in one shop and I’m sure Ive saved heaps.Also, we have found other ways to spend a couple of hours on the weekend, such as going to the botanic gardens or taking the dog to the beach. Much more fun and relaxing that going to a crowded noisy shopping centre.

And after a few weeks, you really don’t miss it anymore.