Can you believe I went to KMart the other day and came out with only the things I wanted to buy and only spent $5?  My $5 trip to KMart wasn’t a very pleasant one and I’ll tell you why.

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Discount Department Stores

KMart stores in Australia have undergone a big change in recent months to make way for their ever growing range of homewares, a new store layout and basically what I call unwanted, unnecessary items for the home, or junk. Yes, its cheap and yes, it’s nasty. With clever displays, modern signage and the latest range of modern colours, people are flocking to KMart in droves. There are people who claim to be KMart addicts and are proud of it. For me, it’s become a magnet for people who don’t have the money to spend on these things but they think they are getting a bargain because it’s cheap and everyone else is buying it. Remember, it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it.

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Before shopping malls and discount department stores like KMart, Target, Walmart and Big W, for example, there were only the major department stores in the nearest big city. When I was quite young, a shopping mall was built near where I lived. For a long time, my Mother used to still go to the city to buy the things we needed like underwear and shoes. Clothes were often hand-me-downs from neighbours and she sewed a lot of our clothes. The things she did buy were Australian made and excellent quality. The underwear would be passed down to my younger sisters until it was thread bare and then she’d cut up the underpants for cleaning rags and the singlets would be cut into bandages. 

Now there’s a shopping mall, or two or three, in every neighbourhood and they have at least 2 discount department stores selling cheap Asian imported goods with no quality whatsoever but they’re cheap. I needed new underwear for my daughter and for $5 I could buy a pack of 6 underpants for her. That’s all I needed and all I bought.

Clever Marketing

With the strategically placed goods and clever marketing, I was able to resist the temptation to buy other things. I don’t need them. Why would I buy them even if they are cheap? Even if I couldn’t possibly live without that ceramic planter filled with a cheap faux plant, I know it will be at the thrift store soon enough for $1. The cushions, the framed prints, the glass bottles, the candles, shelves, furniture, the rugs etc etc, they are changing every couple of months. The stores will persuade you to buy the newer range with a flashy brochure. Throw the junk mail away!

When I went to pay for the underpants I looked around at the people with their shopping trolleys full of cheap homewares, linen, toys, clothes, shoes and other junk they probably didn’t need. Just how many decorative items do you need for your home? Some poor people I saw didn’t look like they had 2 pennies to rub together. I’m not one to judge a book by it’s cover. People can buy whatever they want. I looked at some of the young mums with young children who didn’t have shoes on (both the mums and the children). I really wondered if they could afford what they were buying. Maybe they could afford it but maybe that money could be better spent elsewhere or even saved.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve bought brand new homewares from KMart, for example when I made over my son’s bedroom. The two banners were $7. By the time I added up how much it would cost me to make them, it was cheaper to buy them. Also the plant stand in the corner was $6. I’d searched for 6 months for something similar. Even if I change the theme of the bedroom in years to come, everything can be reused or repurposed. I only bought these three items new. The whole makeover cost me $100 over the course of 6 months.

Be strong and don’t follow the crowd

I read online where people are buying new bed linen every time KMart introduces a new colour scheme or range. I don’t believe you need to upgrade your linen until it has holes in it. My Mum used to mend good quality cotton sheets only because they were a little worn in one area. On my son’s bed I used my youngest sister’s 40 year old blue chenille bedspread prior to me getting the above black comforter (gifted). It was so thread bare but it still did the job. I’ve still got it and will repurpose it into another project when I have the need.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that all these goods at the discount stores are things you need just because they’re cheap. People on extremely low wages make these cheap goods. They’re cheap and they won’t last long. It won’t last long enough to repurpose. Don’t be fooled by clever marketing. Don’t think you want what everyone else has. Be strong and be an individual. Your home, which will be bursting at the seams, will thank you for it and so will the environment.

If you want to know how to avoid impulse buys, you can download my FREE ebook “How to Stop Buying Stuff”. You’ll also get on the waiting list to receive information about my upcoming H.O.M.E. Program.