Shopping Instead of Spending

As usual, I'd like to start by asking a question or two.

Which do you prefer, shopping or spending?

Which do you end up regretting more often, the time spent shopping or the bought item?

It seems to me that we tend to have buyer's remorse far more often than we have regret about the time we spent shopping. Whether it is with friends, family, or just by ourselves, those minutes or hours in stores imagining the possibilities a new purchase might bring is rarely felt bad about later.

Have you ever had a shopping trip where you went home without buying anything you went out for? If so, was that time still something you valued as well spent or did you regret it?

Personally, I find that I don't regret the time shopping nearly as often as I have buyer's remorse. The thought process of considering the possibilities in front of me regarding a new purchase are the fun parts. It can be a way of expanding one's thinking into new areas.

Once that purchase is made though, all those possibilities collapse down into just a few. At least for me, those few possibilities tend to not live up to my imagined expectations.

Thus, today and this week, I encourage you to not worry about spending so much as enjoy the time shopping. You may find you spend less money and less time in regret if you do!