I am a shopper. I love shopping and have loved it for as long as I can remember.
When I was young, back to school shopping was the highlight of my summer. Not only did I get to spend an entire day with my mom (just the two of us for an entire day!) but I got to get all of the new clothes I was just dying to have! And this wasn't just any shopping trip, this was an entire day event.
We would get up early and be ready to shop as soon as the doors opened at the mall, Starbucks in hand. And we would shop, shop, shop until lunch time. Quick lunch break at the food court and sometimes we would even head on over to another mall across town! One year, I even got my second piercings on my ears! But I digress.
While I never remember getting a specified budget for these shopping trips, I was a smart girl, and a kind girl. And I was never greedy - I always shopped with caution.
How to shop with caution:
I am not sure if this is a problem for all girls, but I have such a hard time deciding whether or not I should buy something. I know it often comes down to price but at that time in my life, that wasn't the case, because I wasn't even paying.
I had the most difficult time deciding whether or not I would actually wear something I liked. I would try it one, liked it but didn't love it, and couldn't decide if it was something I would even take the tag off of. Sounds a little crazy, now that I am writing it all out.
But one year, this all changed. My mom gave me a little piece of advice that I still use to this day.
She said to me, "How many times do you think you are going to wear this shirt in your life."
And I responded with, "Maybe three times?"
"Okay. The shirt costs $20. Divide that $20 by the three times you will wear it, and you get about $6.67."
"Okay..." I said.
"Now do you think that shirt is worth $6.67 for each wear?"
And for some reason, that clicked. And it has worked for me ever since!
Many of you may be shaking your heads, not wrapping your head around this whole concept, and I understand that. This may not work for everyone, but it worked for me!
How does this relate to weddings?
Yes, the big question that you've probably been thinking this whole time! How does this relate to my wedding?
There are many items you will see that you will want to buy and we all know that we can't have everything. So if you are having trouble deciding, I want you to think back to how I shop with caution.
Here's an example:
You find the most adorable favors and they are $5 each. You have 160 guests. Are those guests going to use that item $5 worth of times? Is it really worth what you're going to get out of it?
If you have 100 guests and feel pressure to host the bar "because that is what you heard is the proper thing to do," think about the cost vs the use. There may only be 5 guests who even drink alcohol at your wedding and you are paying $30 per person for an open bar. Doesn't seem like you're shopping with caution, are you?
Or if you find a gorgeous dress that you know you can turn into a casual dress after the wedding that you'll get 500 uses out of over its lifetime, then you may be willing to spend a little more on it!
Get my drift?
I know this won't work for everyone, but it sure works for me so I wanted to share that little piece of advice my mom gave me years ago.
And if all else fails, shop with caution.
