Hey guys, Masha here from Masha Plans. Today we are talking about my favorite thing ever- shopping!!

Guys, I have a problem. And I admit it!

But! Shopping therapy is the only type of therapy that works for me, or at least until I’m allowed to get a puppy. So boy oh boy do I get shopping crazy, especially if it’s a sales season or Black Friday!!

Ok, ok I might be exaggerating a little bit at the moment, but the thing is - I totally go on crazy shopping sprees.

You should’ve seen me when I was stuck in the US - every day I got a new package with some more washi tapes or maybe a new pen to try.

A committed Bullet Journalist I am, I decided this will be the best tool to help me manage my shopping and keep myself in check.

So today I’ll share with you a few tips on how to manage your shopping and a few Bullet Journal spreads that help you to keep it all organized.

SUPPLIES

I'll be using again my Kraft Journal. I'm really loving it lately and acrylograph pens look so beautiful on it.

I also still can’t get enough of my Acrylograph pens, so I’m using them as well!

If you want to buy any Archer and Olive products, be sure to use code MASHA10 for 10% off your order.

SHOPPING CHECKLIST

First of all, I created a little checklist that helps me to figure out if the item I want to buy is something I really want or it’s just an impulse buy I’ll forget about in a week.

Here are a few things I usually ask myself:

• Can I afford buying it?
• Will I use it?
• Does it fit with my aesthetics?
• How often will I use it?
• If the item more than $15? (if more I give myself a few more days to think it through)
• Is it something I’ll be using later as well or it’s just a fling of fashion?
• Do I already have something similar?
• Why do I need this?

I created a Bullet Journal spread with all those questions and basically took a picture of it. So if I’m shopping, I can quickly take a look and see if I really want to buy the item.

FINANCIAL TRACKER

This is a spread that helps me the most.

First of all, it allows me to sew how much money I have left so I can properly assess if shopping is a possibility at the moment.

Secondly - it really helps me to see at the end of the month how I spent my money, if I made smart decisions, and correct my expenses for the next month.

I usually do it all in an app for convenience, but it is pretty nice to put these numbers on paper later on and make your expenses a part of your story for the month.

SHOPPING LIST

Another very useful thing to have is a shopping list. Just add here the things that you need to buy or are in your planned budget.

When you go shopping with a purpose you’re more likely to spend your money smart and less likely to make any impulsive purchases. 

Having a list saves you both - money and time.

GIFT LIST

With the big holiday approaching, it’s pretty useful to have a list of gift ideas for your loved ones. Start preparing in advance, gather ideas from all over with things that might be a good present and it will save you so much worrying later on.

Create a big list of ideas, or maybe already divide ideas by people who you want to give a present to. One way or another, it will help.

Plus, having a list might help you save some money as well, since you could possibly get some of these on Black Friday or other big sales.

SALES SPREAD

The final boss of shopping planning is this spread with a list of yearly sales.

These are your favorite places to shop and find out when they have sales. There are so many out there - seasonal sales, Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Christmas in July and so many more, it’s hard to keep track.

Unless you have a Bullet Journal spread to help you with that! Find your favorite brands, google sales they help annually and go shopping at those times to get some great deals.

PLAN WITH ME

Want to see me setting these pages up with acrylograph pens? Check out this little plan with me video below.

FREE PRINTABLE

Of course, I wanted to leave you with little something, here is a shopping list that you can easily add to your Bullet Journal right away.

For me, the most difficult part of creating spreads like this is the fact that I have to draw so many lines! So I saved you some time, hope you like it.

If you decide to create shopping pages in your Bullet Journal - be sure to tag me @mashaplans and @archerandolive on Instagram, we would love to see your creations!

Keep Bullet Journaling and Don’t Be A Blob!