So there’s professional therapy and then there’s homemade, and I’m a fan of both.
I give professional therapy its props where it’s due because it has saved me a time or two. It has taught me useful techniques and skills that I still use on a regular day to stay sane.
But there’s something awesome about homemade therapy too. My homemade therapy of choice is retail therapy aka shopping therapy aka balling on a budget.
In the past, shopping therapy has totaled my life. During manic periods, I would spend my entire paycheck in one sitting in a matter of minutes. Then I would flounder around, failing to pay my basic bills. Well no more. Now I have a trick to make shopping therapy work for me without moving towards being evicted.
It’s called the envelope method, and I am a fan.
I use a digital app for my envelope method because carrying cash around as a single female feels like a death trap.
The envelope method is a budgeting strategy where you take every single penny from your paycheck and divide it into envelopes based on bills, hobbies, etc. I always do this immediately upon getting a paycheck so I don’t have to think about it after that. Once all the main bills are covered, I add in my miscellaneous category for a little bit of mystery and fun. I always add something to this category, even if it’s only $20 because then I have fuel for shopping therapy.
The trick is to not go over any envelopes budget so if you’re not good with cents, round up. Then each time I buy something, I deduct it from the pertinent envelope. If I go to the grocery store, that comes out of the groceries envelope. Paying rent? There better be a rent envelope. Shopping therapy? Thank you miscellaneous category.
Each time I become manic, I rely on this system to keep me from overspending. If there ain’t nothing left in the envelope, there ain’t nothing left in my pocket.
It’s worked pretty well for me so far. I don’t feel tempted to steal from other envelopes because it’s habit now. I know the consequences of stepping out of line.
If you feel comfortable carrying cash, you could just as easily do this with physical envelopes and stacks of cash in categories written on the face of each envelope. That would probably be even better for shopping therapy because you could only take the miscellaneous envelope out with you and when it’s gone, it is gone.
Last week, I went for shopping therapy and it was wonderful. I got some tea, a container for my teas, and a few small trinkets to add to my collection of ish. It felt good to get out of the house and to treat myself in this way without fear of spending too much. I gotta say budgeting is the best when it comes to setting my aside money for the right reasons. Try it. You might be surprised at the benefits you find.
Now excuse me, I’ve got to go enjoy the spoils of my shopping therapy trip.
Arishama
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