I think I finally turned a page in terms of my shopping habits when the pandemic hit. Something about being in throngs of random people got reeeeeeally uncomfortable at the beginning of 2020, and that discomfort still hasn’t worn off two years later. As such, the way I shop has changed dramatically since then, and I’m gonna pat myself on the back a bit, because my wallet is a bit plumper because of it.

I haven’t been to a mall in a few weeks, and on my last visit, it all evened out because I returned two online purchases that totaled a bit less than what I spent that day. I used to go shopping every few weeks at a minimum, so this is big progress. In addition to curbing my spending by staying away from the mall, my clothing shopping has plummeted because wearing cute clothes is not as fun when you have nowhere to show them off. As of late, I’m working from home (thanks, Omicron!) and thus have less reasons to leave the house. Most of the time, I’m wearing sweatpants or sweatshirt dresses, so my skinny jeans are gathering dust.

The vast majority of my clothing shopping is done online. Poshmark is a favorite as of late. I’ve been able to find new replacements of garments that I wore in college! I’ve also saved hundreds of dollars on designer bags by purchasing gently used ones on the site. When it comes to jewelry, my Etsy favorites list grows by the day, but it’s nice to be able to ponder on potential purchases for several weeks before I take the plunge; resisting the urge to make impulse purchases has become a habit. I’m even considering making it a rule to only spend the profits that I make from my Etsy shop going forward. (I’ll let you know if I stick to it.) I look forward to the day when I don’t feel anxious about walking into a busy mall. But for now, I’m fine with window shopping from the safety of my screen.