My Online Shopping Addiction

~ FOUR ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES TO ONLINE SHOPPING ~

Online shopping has a lot in common with childbearing*.

You carry something around in your wish list for months, that feeling of want growing bigger and heavier each day. You fantasise about your future with this garment – how it’s going to feel, how it will potentially show off your best assets and hide your worst, what other items in your wardrobe it’s going to get along with, and how it’s generally going to improve your life, one wear at a time.

Payday comes around and your bank account is now ‘full-term’ so next comes the painful part: pushing out all your hard-earned money. Your pulse quickens as you pull out your credit card. You key in the gold numbers with trepidation: the correct digits in their correct order being integral to your happiness. You see your bank account drain away and you are filled with anxiety and dread.

You hold that delicate, precious package, all swaddled in tissue paper, gently in your arms and any post-purchase remorse is suddenly washed away in a tidal wave of endorphins.

Not long afterwards, your parcel is successfully delivered. You hold that delicate, precious package, all swaddled in tissue paper, gently in your arms and any post-purchase remorse is suddenly washed away in a tidal wave of endorphins.

The fact that I compare the joy of childbirth to online shopping is probably pretty telling that I most likely have an internet shopping addiction.

I may be the only one making weird pregnancy analogies but, somehow, I don’t think I’m alone when it comes to this online addiction: the National Australia Bank estimated that the online retail market, in Australia, was worth $22.74 bn in the 2016-2017 tax year. (See the ten signs which indicate you might be addicted to online shopping here.)

I’ve made many sacrifices on my quest for the sartorial holy grail. I’ve forgone social outings, delicious meals, and even taxis in the rain. Like Carrie said on SATC, when she was totally broke she would occasionally buy Vogue instead of dinner as she thought it fed her more.

Sendle, an Australian carbon-neutral delivery service, calculated that the average number of packages sent per year from Melbourne to Brisbane (37 million) produce 1.4kg of carbon emissions per package — that equates to 51.8 million tonnes of carbon! Put another way, you would need to multiply the world’s entire elephant population 17 times. [Sourced from 1 Million Women website.]

In order to reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions my addiction was causing, I was determined to break my bad shopping habits. Was there a way I could still get my online shopping ‘hit’ without injecting any brand-new clothes or accessories into my wardrobe?

I came up with four healthy alternatives to online shopping that are not only good for the environment — they’re also good for your wallet and your mental health.

If you are creative with your clothes and wear what you currently own in ways unintended, it can feel like you are almost doubling your wardrobe real-estate.

REPURPOSE
There is always more to one’s closet than first meets the eye. A mini-dress hanging on your clothes rack may not be just a dress — what if you tucked it into a pair of trousers and called it a top? Or that long skirt you never wear, what if you could transform it into a dress? If you are creative with your clothes and wear what you currently own in ways unintended, it can feel like you are almost doubling your wardrobe real-estate.

I even dove into my underwear drawer, excavated an ancient half-slip and fashioned it into a boob-tube (just in time for the early 2000s revival!).

Or how about a scarf as a bustier?

Not ready to break traditions? Layering is another great way to diversify your wardrobe. Even just adding a jumper over a dress can break it up and make it look like an entirely new outfit.

BEG, BORROW (BUT NEVER STEAL)
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Friends are another wardrobe waiting to happen, one which may also encourage you to experiment with different styles you might not otherwise try.

Friends are another wardrobe waiting to happen, one which may also encourage you to experiment with different styles you might not otherwise try.

Surrounding myself by rather tall friends, I don’t often get to borrow something that fits me, but there are many ways you can still make it work (see my post here on altering your clothes without going to the tailor).

TO MARKET, TO MARKET
Sometimes you need pluck yourself out from your dark, dank internet lair, and experience the real world. Step out in the sunshine and get some fresh air into those lungs!

Markets are a hive of activity; there are always new sights, sounds and aromas to fill your sensory cavities to the brim. You also get to avoid fluorescent lighting, terrible music blaring too loudly from shop speakers, over pushy sales people and over-priced goods.

If you do find something you like, the victory feels far greater than processing your virtual shopping cart ever will. And it’s always a cooler story to tell someone the next time they compliment you on your handbag.

You’re so broke you can’t even afford that $20 vintage dress? Enjoy the atmosphere and people-watching, it’s free! Markets attract people from all walks of life.

Use your highly refined internet browsing skills to uncover what great local markets are near you. My favourite in Melbourne is the Sunday Camberwell Markets.

REFINE YOUR WISH LISTS
Save up for something you really want rather than constantly buying smaller things just for the thrill of something new.

I know all too well that heavy feeling, in the pit of your stomach, when something you had your eye on sells out. But pick yourself up, dust yourself off and just know that there will always be something newer and more exciting around the corner. When I think back to all the purchases I didn’t/couldn’t make, I truly regret only a handful. Most of them I cannot even recall.

Giving yourself proper time to consider if you want the item, and if it’s financially viable, is a great way to avoid buyers remorse.

If you still want something when your next pay rolls around, and it’s available, then go for it. Giving yourself proper time to consider if you want the item, and if it’s financially viable, is a great way to avoid buyers remorse.

Here’s what a small sample of mine looks like right now:

It’s important to remember that style isn’t about always having the latest trends, it’s about being able to work with what you have. Be inventive, be creative, be kinder to our planet.

Now, to take my own advice.

*I have never experienced childbirth so make my bold comparison based on movies, books and what my mother and sisters have told me. I’m also very aware that having children is a lot more meaningful and fulfilling than online shopping 😉