{"id":29,"date":"2025-10-10T23:19:49","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T06:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/?p=29"},"modified":"2025-10-10T23:19:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T06:19:49","slug":"confessions-of-a-frugal-shopaholic-how-i-went-from-addicted-to-abundant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/?p=29","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a Frugal Shopaholic: How I Went from Addicted to Abundant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever walked into Target for one thing and walked out with $300 worth of \u201cnecessities\u201d? Do you justify every Amazon order by saying, \u201cI deserve this\u201d? Do you tell yourself you\u2019re saving money because something was 40% off \u2014 even though you didn\u2019t need it in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah\u2026 same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi, my name is Christy, and I\u2019m a recovering shopaholic \u2014 emphasis on recovering, because the struggle between my wallet and my wardrobe is still a full-on WWE cage match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a kid, my parents worked opposite shifts \u2014 my mom hustled nights as a waitress, and my dad worked days as a mechanic at a golf course. We rarely had time together, so when I did see them, their love language came in the form of gifts. Toys, treats, new clothes \u2014 you name it. I wasn\u2019t spoiled\u2026 I was just emotionally gifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, that\u2019s where my love for shopping started \u2014 it wasn\u2019t just about stuff, it was about feeling seen, loved, and special. Every new outfit was a hug in fabric form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to adulthood, and I became that girl who couldn\u2019t leave a store without buying something. If I didn\u2019t find anything, I\u2019d throw a mini tantrum like a three-year-old denied candy. Except the three-year-old had better credit. I was nineteen years old acting like the mall owed me emotional closure. I didn\u2019t need therapy; I needed a clearance rack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, here\u2019s the plot twist: despite my shopping addiction, I was actually really good with money. My mom drilled into me early the holy trinity of financial wisdom \u2014 tithe, save, and don\u2019t bounce a check. So even during my shopaholic phase, every paycheck followed a sacred order: ten percent to God (because I\u2019m not trying to get cursed over a Gucci bag), bills, savings, then retail therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And honestly? That system still works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband Stephen once said, \u201cWe\u2019ve saved more money since I got locked up than we ever did before.\u201d And I was like, \u201cOf course, babe. You married a Korean \u2014 we\u2019re the Jewish accountants of Asia!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now don\u2019t get me wrong, being frugal has its perks\u2026 but I took it to another level. When Stephen and I used to go out to eat, I\u2019d say, \u201cLet\u2019s just get one drink and share the refill cup. Unlimited refills, baby!\u201d He\u2019d stare at me like, \u201cYou\u2019re really saving 75 cents right now?\u201d You bet your sweet discount I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even now, I\u2019m still the kind of woman who raids hotel supplies like it\u2019s a survival mission. I haven\u2019t bought toilet paper since my husband went to prison. So if you come over and use my bathroom \u2014 congratulations, you\u2019re wiping your ass with Hilton luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And let\u2019s not forget my water bill hack \u2014 I shower at the gym downstairs. You think I\u2019m working out? Nope. I\u2019m saving money while getting free conditioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s Stephen \u2014 my polar opposite. The man gives like he\u2019s Oprah. \u201cYou get dinner! You get a drink! You get leftovers!\u201d He loves feeding people, hosting dinners, and making sure everyone leaves with a full belly and a Tupperware to-go bag. I used to say, \u201cIf you hang out with Stephen, you\u2019ll gain weight and a new appreciation for five-star cuisine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s true \u2014 all our assistants left with thicker thighs and happier hearts. Being married to him taught me something huge: I was living with a scarcity mindset. Always saving, always withholding, always afraid there wouldn\u2019t be enough. Stephen lived with an abundance mindset. He believed the more you give, the more comes back to you \u2014 in food, love, and blessings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slowly, I started loosening up. I stopped counting every penny like it was on death row and started realizing that generosity creates its own kind of wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I live in this beautiful tension between boujee and budget-conscious. Yes, you\u2019ll catch me shopping at Louis Vuitton or Prada \u2014 but what you don\u2019t see is my secret envelope system. Every week, I stash a little cash into an envelope labeled \u201cfun money.\u201d That way, when I want to splurge, I use that envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s guilt-free shopping. My bills are paid, my tithe is given, and my savings are safe. So when I walk into a store, I can say, \u201cYes, I\u2019ll take that bag \u2014 Jesus already approved the budget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something hilarious about growing up middle class but acting boujee. Like, I\u2019ll buy a $1,200 purse but hesitate to pay $4.99 for extra guac. I\u2019ll say, \u201cThat\u2019s robbery!\u201d as I clutch my Louis Vuitton. Or when the cashier asks if I want to donate $1 to hungry children, and I\u2019m like, \u201cNot today, I just tithed.\u201d That\u2019s the duality of womanhood \u2014 spiritual and slightly stingy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But honestly? I\u2019ve learned to laugh at it. I used to feel shame for my frugality, then guilt for my indulgence, until I realized: both come from the same desire \u2014 to feel secure, loved, and in control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopping isn\u2019t just about buying things. It\u2019s about how it makes us feel. Beautiful. Worthy. Seen. Desired. When I was a little girl, getting gifts meant love. As an adult, it became a substitute for emotional comfort. But now I\u2019ve learned something deeper \u2014 true abundance isn\u2019t in what you buy, it\u2019s in what you believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I finally understood that my value wasn\u2019t tied to what I owned, I found peace. Whether I\u2019m rocking a designer dress or a clearance rack steal, my confidence doesn\u2019t come from the label \u2014 it comes from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Money and shopping will always be a dance \u2014 sometimes we lead, sometimes we trip over our own heels. But here\u2019s the truth I\u2019ve learned (and still remind myself of every time I walk into a sale): you can have nice things without letting things have you. You can be generous without going broke. You can love shopping and still love saving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, the goal isn\u2019t to be dripping in designer \u2014 it\u2019s to be dripping in peace.\u201d Because true wealth isn\u2019t what\u2019s in your wallet\u2026 it\u2019s in the confidence of knowing you are valued, loved and accepted no matter what designer outfit you have or are wearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that, my friends, looks good with everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes \u2014 I still shop. I still love beautiful things. But now I know the most beautiful thing I can wear is confidence in who I am in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you love me or love to hate me, you are still my lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget Jesus loves you, and so do I. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever walked into Target for one thing and walked out with $300 worth of \u201cnecessities\u201d? Do you justify every Amazon order by saying, \u201cI deserve this\u201d? Do you tell yourself you\u2019re saving money because something was 40% off \u2014 even though you didn\u2019t need it in the first place? Yeah\u2026 same. Hi, my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":31,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}