Sales, Deals, Coupons... and How I Should Always Abstain

I don't know about you guys, but I have three email addresses. I have one email for my work/family/friends to reach me pretty quickly and on my phone. I have one email specifically for my blog stuff and I have one email that is purely dedicated to my "junk" email. When I say junk, this is where I have all of my promotional emails go... my Groupons and Livingsocial deals, my store sale prompts and my coupon codes, oh the coupon codes. I don't want these hundreds of emails to clog up the works on email addresses that should be more streamlined and efficient. Regardless of this being my junk email address, I check it religiously. I could totally miss a great deal if I don't right? Well, I have come to realize that this junk email is one of my biggest sources of shopping temptations, especially if I am bored.

This is good at GAP until 06/15

I, personally, love a good deal but by getting a good deal am I actually spending more money than I would if I didn't spend the money at all? Of course. Since I have mentioned a few times in the past that I am planning a wedding, going back to Fashion School, looking at houses and all the other adult things that add up to mounds and mounds of money, I have had to take a hard look at where all my money goes... and you would have guessed right if you bet that my money went towards shoes, clothes, cheese and more shoes.

Lands End Canvas email 06/13

When the man and I first started dating, it was apparent to me that he was the one who was "better with money". I like things, buying them for me, rebuilding his wardrobe (because it needed it). Once we moved in together, it was buying things for the home, decorating etc etc and so on and so forth. As we have decided to make big, expensive decisions in life this year, it is solely up to me not to spend the money that I need for more important things than a Groupon I will let expire. This new resolve coupled with the man's encouragement, have made it that much easier. He encourages me to save butt also doesn't get irritated when a new pair of shoes comes in the mail.  Now, I totally recognize that just because it's cheaper in it's price, or seems like a one time only deal, doesn't mean I have to have it. That was a lesson that I learned over time.

But honey, that's SUCH a good deal for Scuba Lessons!

Gone are the days that I am drawn to a sale 100% of the time. I think I have gracefully brought that down to about a 25% of the time reaction rate haha. I am a work in progress and of course, will always love to shop but there are smarter ways to spend my money and get my "fix" (Like Klout Perks, winning giveaways on blogs, re purposing clothes I already have and the list goes on)...another thing that has helped is to stop checking my junk email all the time, stomping that temptation at the start.

Are you drawn in by good sale? Do you fall prey to the 40% emails like I sometimes do?