Retail therapy has become very popular, but now it is not how fashionable it is, but how expensive it has become.
Going to the malls on weekends with family has been a tradition for many, but that tradition has slowly been fading away, with only one culprit to blame: the price of everything. With inflation comes many disadvantages, like overpaying for basic items. But now that tariffs have come into play, that is just more money people are losing.
With the uncertainty over tariffs, shopping habits will undergo drastic changes for everyone, whether it is in-store or online purchases that are being made. This drastic change is all due to the skyrocketing increase in prices. Tariffs are automatically being added to items that are imported from outside the United States, which is why prices are seen increasing at such a rapid pace, but even non-imported items are costing more..
My personal shopping habits have been greatly affected. August through December of 2024, I was shopping at least once a week, whether it was for a shirt, a pair of jeans, or anything in general that I liked.
But from January to the present day, I have had to learn to limit and control the amount of money that I am spending. For example, since I work at Aeropostale, I do a majority of my shopping in that specific store with my employee discount. Using my discount allows me to get more for my money than if I went shopping at a different store for the same number of items. I can buy two shirts with my discount for the price of one sweater that I was considering buying on Amazon.
The item that I was considering buying was a basic grey sweater that used to be $18 but is now $31. Due to the dramatic increase in price, I will no longer be buying the sweater.
The dramatic increase in prices has led me to question whether I should buy an item and whether I can even afford to spend the money. This is mainly due to the fact that if I kept shopping as much as I used to, the majority of my check, at least a good 60% of it, would be going to those items.
Tariffs not only affect the prices of everything around me, but they also affect the way that I think and spend money. Spending money now is not as easy as it used to be because now the extra taxes are what get everyone before they make their purchase final.
The dramatic increase in prices is affecting the way that I shop, as it is limiting how much I will be able to spend. It is affecting my spending habits to where I’ve had to learn to spend money on only what I need and not all of my wants.
