Shopping Diet: Day 4 of 60

 My ridiculous return pile

< 50% of my jewelry

Beauty products I gave away

As I write this I'm visualizing all my overflowing drawers, cabinets, and storage space full of stuff.  Ranging from hardly used make-up, skincare, and haircare to candles, makeup, shoes, stationary, gadgets, leggings, and list goes on and on and on. The clutter just never ends and I'm totally overwhelmed.
 There's a corner of my living room dedicated to things I need to return from Rue La La, Hautelook, Amazon and Ideeli (as seen above).  It literally looks like a stack of trash.  Actually, Mr. Granola recently put an empty milk carton on top of my "return stack" thinking it was the recycling pile.  How sad.  At least $200 worth of merchandise is mistaken for garbage. 
I've decided to chronicle my 60 day shopping diet, here on my blog, with my readers.  
As a child, I would have an underlying joy and sense of happiness that would last for days after my parents took me to Sanrio or Mervyn's-- the usual places a 6 year old in the 80's would shop.  Thinking back, it's probably my first experience of that "shopping high," the same feeling I get to this day when I click "buy" or rip open a box that has arrived at my door-- most of the time where I can't even recall its contents.
Before I turned 30, I accomplished my goal of paying off the debt.  A goal I cannot take credit for, because as I realized, I was overjoyed by the act of shopping.  Mr. Granola really helped manage my money and forever grateful I've learned to spend only "cash."  Over the past year I've learned many important shopping lessons and really stuck by them.  Except what do you do when "everything" goes with 5 pieces in your closet, or when "everything" is on discount?  
Although I've given myself an allowance each month, I've managed to fall for the hype of the YouTube beauty gurus "Monthly Favorites," latest season must haves, newest subscription site, and once-a-year-deals I can't live without. I can honestly say I don't need another darn thing.
So as we've all heard-- first step is admitting you have a problem.  Although I'll have some recent online purchases trickle in, I have officially started my shopping diet on July 1st!