Physical cash is much harder to spend because you actually SEE the money leaving your hand. Plastic takes that barrier away and can lead to MUCH spending.

Not only is the clothing incredibly cheaper, but since every item is one of a kind, either it fits, or we can’t buy it. That makes it kind of self limiting. And we still find a bunch of good clothing, it just takes longer to find and costs bunch less.

The amazon wish list is a godsend.

I made a pact with myself years ago that I couldn’t buy fabric unless I was going to make something with it immediately. I have broken the pact a few times but the fabric purchases have declined dramatically.

Books are something that I do not buy anymore–I have difficulty using gift cards now. When I see books at bookstores I write down titles and try to get them from the library but I never buy a book without checking reviews first. If there is a book that I really want I ask for it as a Christmas or birthday gift. My husband and I recently went through our book collection and whittled it down–books were taking over our house.

I will have to find a restaurant supply store. When I do, then I guess that will be my new weakness.

I have the same “vice”. One thing I do to avoid impulse buying yarn or even going to the yarn store (because I can’t leave without something) is to only allow myself to buy yarn when I have finished what I am currently knitting. My big temptation happens because yarn is like crack, and like a junkie, sometimes I have to go “visit” the yarn. LOL.

My other way to cope is to force myself to knit from my stash and find uses for the yarn I have already. I have some I bought for a project I ended up hating and will frog, but I am going to make myself find something to knit with it.

Otherwise, I’m very careful to shop around to get prices on yarn brands and then figure out how much yarn I will need to knit a project and then how much I have to save up to get it. Yarn store yarn is not cheap, but it’s well worth every penny spent on it.

Kitchen equipment – I’m with the restaurant-supply group.

Books, DVD, and music – 90% online. Wish lists help keep the acquisitive cravings down.

My big downfall for a while was beads/jewelry-making supplies. I had to make a rule that I could not go into a bead store or to a show unless I had finished a project in the last month, and then I had a $100 budget. This has kept me under control.

Williams Sonoma is easy for me. I haven’t shopped there in 7 years and still to this day refuse to. They were extremely rude to me one time, and since management decided not to do anything about it, not even a response to my concern, I refuse to shop there, or at Pottery Barn (they own pottery barn) to this day. Make a statement with your wallet.

As for cooking, for the most part, I go to restaurant supply stores. Not only is the product cheaper, it is more durable and frankly has a more industrial look many times.

I just could never justify paying retail there, but we’ve gotten some wonderful things off the sale tables that we’ve harshly used for years. The $24 Le Creuset sauce pan that gets roughly used about six times a week for everything from sauce to oatmeal to rice and the $1.99 Rosle peeler that never seems to lose its sharpness come to mind.

I’d far rather pay the $24 for that enameled cast iron sauce pan which I’m still going to have when I’m 70 than have to buy a new $10 sauce pan from Target every 5-10 years because the nonstick coating in it is starting to flake off.

Being a bookstore regular, I’ll read part of a book when I go, and if I find myself coming back to the book on subsequent visits, I’ll buy it the second or third time around.

There’s just so much information out there and not all of it is necessary or desireable to own, but I figure if I come back to a book more than a couple of times, it’s probably one I’ll want to have around on a permanent basis.

Book stores – I try to buy only what is on my list (things I’ve read at the library and will want to read again and again or lend out to everyone). And I go to Half-Price only when they’re having a sale or I have a coupon.

Target – Everything’s so pretty! And they have lots of DVDs! Again, I try to stick to the list, and I also will look mainly at the clearance sections, ignoring the other sections.

I’ve also learned to give in to certain things because I do occasionally regret not spending money. Like I’ve been wanting a few more awesome decorative things to put on my shelves. And so when I was at the gift shop at a Frank Lloyd Wright building, I decided to see if they had something awesome and affordable. I allowed myself to get a really great book end (which is actually a candle holder). Also, if I’m on vacation, I will spend money for experiences, like being able to actually go inside places or climb to the top of things.

If I’m with friends, my goal is to be like your friend John and make up good stories about various items we find.

Sometimes I’ll find something cool but useless seeming and ask my friend to please tell my why I need one. But usually they can’t, so I don’t get it. Every once in a while they come up with a use, and sometimes that use would actually improve my life and then I can have a pretty/cool thing that improves my life.

Another strategy I use is to remind myself that it’s okay to admire something without buying it. Occasionally I’ll even take a picture of it (this is not acceptable behavior at arts and craft shows and some other places, but it’s perfectly fine at many places).

By the way, I was just noticing that Williams-Sonoma is a king of one-purpose items. They are so pretty! So solid! But I don’t need a waffle maker because pancakes are just as good and don’t need as much butter to keep them from sticking, so they’re less fattening. Nor do I need a totally awesome safe-looking mandolin (hand slicer) because I really can just use a knife and cutting board. And I don’t need a tool for making very cutely shaped fried pies or pancakes. Regular pie and flat pancakes are just as tasty. (I have to keep reminding myself of these things, though.)