Ooooh, so cute! But do I really need it???

Over the years, I have become a much better shopper and have stopped purchasing things that only look good in the skinny mirrors in the store or that are just not overly flattering (even though the sales person insists I look fantastic), but the skill to correctly distinguish buying things based on Want versus Need has continued to allude me for quite some time.

I know I can't be the only one that suffers through this internal monologue when I know I am about to buy something that is technically not absolutely necessary (you see, even now I am qualifying). And frankly, Want is very sneaky and cleverly disguises itself as Need quite often, so somehow that ridiculously cute top just ends up in a shopping bag and in my closet before I realize that I've been had. Foiled again!

However, I think I may finally have caught on to Want's little scheme and have successfully aborted its recent attempts to make its way into my slightly overfull closet. It turns out that by really thinking about whether this dress or that sweater fulfills multiple purposes in my life (instead of being a one hit wonder), I not only rid myself of buyer's remorse when I do make a purchase, but inadvertently, I have started to realize what my closet actually does or does not need to successfully work and play in my daily life. And crazy enough, giving up the items that I just Want is not nearly as hard as I thought; I feel more responsible and more in control of my buying. Sadly, I think this is some indication of growing up, but if it gets me closer to having a house with a bathroom bigger than a closet, then so be it.

And as if this breakthrough wasn't enough, there is more good news. I have discovered that I never have to go through this process when buying shoes. Shoes always fall into Need(yes, Hubby, I am serious). I need shoes to walk in and coincidentally I live in NYC, one of the biggest walking cities. Ergo, shoes are always needed (I knew that logic class would come in handy).