The Shopping Plan, a powerful tool for successful spending

My husband would say I'm always shopping.  And that may be true, but that doesn't mean I'm always spending money as it implies!  Admitedly, I oftentimes go shopping either because we need something or to entertain Lily with the sights and sounds of the mall (likely excuse I know :), but I often come away disappointed and empty-handed.

For me, shopping is a love-hate relationship.  I love the idea of shopping and I always enjoy browsing and window shopping, but if I have specific things to purchase then the task is just that, a task.  And with a toddler in tow, it seems altogether impossible.  It's hard enough staying focused and making purchasing decisions when I'm by myself, much less with a 17-month old mini me with a mind of her own :).

So, after once again attempting to get some shopping done with Lily and, once again leaving the store mid-shop, abandoning my half-full shopping cart for the sake of the other annoyed shoppers, I decided to try something new.  After all, as my Aunt Sister always says, "Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."  Gotta love Aunt Sister's wisdom :).  

During Lily's nap yesterday I came up with a detailed shopping list of what I needed, e.g. coat and warm hat and boots for our skiing trip this weekend, hostess gifts for upcoming holiday parties, etc.  See my list below. 

After coming up with my list I began my research online.  For each item I considered where I might find it at our local mall and then searched the relevant online site.  Whenever I found something that worked I called the store to ask them to pull the relevant size or item and place it on hold for me.  If they didn't have the item or size I needed, I could make a decision in a calm environment to either look for something else or call around to other stores to try and locate it. 

I found an adorable coat, boot and hat ensemble at Gymboree (below) and managed to save 20% with a coupon from my 'Parents' magazine.  This is another benefit of detailing out your shopping in advance - you can plan for coupons and save some $$$!  Score :).

I found some lovely hostess gift options at Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn and just made a note of what I found so that I could stay focused while at the stores. 

It felt great to have my shopping pretty much done within Lily's naptime and now all I had to do was go to the mall and pick up the items - no shipping charges or waiting days for the merchandise to arrive!! 

My friend, Tiffany, kindly offered to watch Lily for a couple hours so I could hit the mall in the afternoon so after my morning planning session I hit the mall with a vengeance and, within about two hours, managed to purchase all of the planned items and then some!  I was exuberant after such a successful shopping experience so thought I would share the experience with you all :).

For me, at least, I think this is the key to shopping success.  Make a list, research the list and then stick to the plan.  No more being distracted by the over-abundance of options when you're at the mall. 

So on that note, happy holiday shopping and have a fabulous Friday, friends!