Online Shopping Traps

I haven’t done a good rant post in a while and I’m feeling the need to rant.

I don’t know which of you out there needs to hear this, but I feel like it needs to be said:

If it doesn’t fit, return it.

Joules

Online shopping is awesome, it really is. You can comparison shop, find amazing sales, and even track down a duplicate of a well-loved item.

However, it’s also a trap.

I looked for some psychology articles to back this thought up, but can’t find any. So maybe it’s just me that thinks this, but I repeat… it’s a TRAP. And you need to stay strong.

According to my vast research, there are three types of online shopping traps. The ‘It’s Fine’ trap, the ‘I’m Busy’ trap and the ‘Goal Clothes’ trap. I’ve fallen for each one of these traps and my goal is to save one of you from making the same mistakes!

The ‘It’s Fine’ Trap

You see something you think you might love and the online store has ‘free shipping and free returns’ so you figure, you’ll give it a try and return it if you don’t like it.

And then it comes in the mail and you try it on. And it’s fine.

Maybe the color isn’t exactly what you were expecting. Or perhaps it’s a little shorter or longer than you would have liked. Maybe it’s just not as flattering as it was in your imagination. But it’s FINE. So, you stick it in your closet.

And it sits in your closet with the tags on. Frankly, it never sparks joy.

One day you rip the tags off and decide, THAT’S IT, I paid for this and I’m going to WEAR IT. So, you do.

And it’s fine. But not great.

Back into the closet it goes and you keep pushing it to the back, and never wearing it. But you can’t donate it or sell it because DANG IT you just bought it and hardly even wore it!

See, it’s a thing, right?

The ‘I’m Busy’ Trap

Or maybe you buy something and you don’t love it. So, you stick it on your dresser to return it next time you’re near that store.

And time goes by and by and by and finally you just shove the item in a drawer because you’re never going to have time to return it, so you might as well just wear it.

But you don’t love it, so it just keeps getting stuck in the back of your drawer for a year before you finally donate it.

The ‘Goal Clothes’ Trap

All of us have fallen into the goal clothes trap, right? You find something that is so fabulous, so beautiful and such a wonderful price and you MUST have it. It would be a crime not to buy it! But then it arrives at your house and it’s too small.

What do you tell yourself? Right. IT CAN BE MY GOAL OUTFIT FOR WHEN I LOSE WEIGHT!

We all tell ourselves that bullcrap. Let me tell you a secret. You don’t need goal clothes. If you decide to lose weight, you will want to go out and buy yourself something nice to celebrate. I promise you.

There is no need to keep goal clothing around that just makes you feel bad about yourself.

Overcoming the Cycle

I’ve been stuck in this cycle for years. Maybe my whole life. But I think I’m finally at the point where I’m ready to break free of it.

Just a couple weeks ago I saw a dress on a lovely lady on Instagram and I had to have it. It was super reasonably priced and it was a style I’d been looking for, so I ordered it in two sizes to make sure I got my perfect fit.

The dresses arrived in the mail a couple days later. I tried on the medium and it was a little too snug in the bust. Then I tried on the large, and it was a little too baggy.

That’s cool, I could make a few easy alterations on my own. But then, I grabbed a couple potential bras to wear under it before making the alterations… and none of them worked. Not one single bra in my drawer would work under this dress.

Sure, I could go down the rabbit hole of finding a new bra. Buying more STUFF to make this dress work. This dress that was a little too baggy. This dress that needed some alterations to fit my body. This dress that still had the tags on it.

So instead, I returned it.

And it felt great.