I have come to realize that the purchases I later regret are the ones I make when in a low state. Be it anxious, lonely, sad, tired, bored, or maybe even all of the above... I used to default to my Nordstrom app to fill the void, which simultaneously drained my bank account and made me feel more worthless for being in debt. I truthfully don't have the same desire to shop that I used to, and I attribute that to finding other more fulfilling and meaningful ways to spend my time. Here are a few that I came up with that can hopefully help you start to feel better without spending a single $ :)

- Meditate

- Go for a walk

- Cook a meal

- Play with your Pets

- Clean Your Room (or any room for that matter)

- Phone a friend

- Find a new profile picture

- Put on fun makeup

- Dance around to a really stupid song that makes you laugh

- Go for a drive with your windows down

- Do yoga on YouTube

- Make a cup of tea

- Go through your old screenshots 

- Write a letter to your future self...

I felt ashamed and embarrassed of the fact that I was in credit card debt for a long time. I hired a financial advisor right before I quit my job (unbeknownst to me at the time) and he provided me with a blueprint on paying off my debt.

He encouraged me to take out a 401k loan to cover my interest-bearing credit card balances and then pay myself back over the course of 2-3 years.

With this guidance, he also offered a word of caution.

“If you don’t change your spending habits, you will find yourself in this exact same spot down the line.”

I took out the loan, paid off my credit cards and went about my life.

Then, less than 2 months later, I quit my job, moved in with my Dad, and found a new job I hated that paid me significantly less money. I started using my credit cards again to buy things to offset how empty I felt inside. I incurred a new balance of nearly the exact same amount less than one year later. 

Everything in my life had changed except my mindset, particularly in the ...