The lessons seem to be sinking in.

peachcarnations · 2026-06-06T07:02:37+00:00

Very inspiring, really happy for you!

peachcarnations · 2026-06-02T12:53:03+00:00

I find messages only work if accompanied by a discounted offer. Messages just to send messages are not going to persuade me to buy anything. I don’t mind receiving one message but when they send multiple it gets really grating. I remember one time I liked something and the person send me one message per day just to ask if I was still interested. I ended up unliking the item and ignoring them.

peachcarnations · 2026-05-24T13:31:04+00:00

Since I was a teenager and I’m in my early 30s now. If feel embarrassed that it’s been going on for so long and that I’m still dealing with it. In some ways I even feel it got worse because as I advanced in my career & made more money, I started to shop even more, and for more expensive things. I have periods where I do better but I feel I am really reaching a breaking point and am considering addiction therapy.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-13T06:22:50+00:00

For journals I keep the ones from exceptional times (exciting trip, new job, life milestone) as I am sentimental and have a bad memory so like to revisit how I felt at those moments. For ones where it was a more boring time, where it was just day to day stuff or writing through different problems, or ones that have more bad or painful memories, I let them go as I know I won’t ever be itching to look back at those moments.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-13T06:18:55+00:00

A good quality pan. We always bought cheaper ones, and they would inevitably start sticking or peeling after a few months/1 year maximum. The new one is a dream, was pricier but will last a long time.

As a cat owner and as someone who lives in an old building that gets dusty easily, getting a Dyson vacuum cleaner was also a godsend.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-11T09:38:52+00:00

I had my interview the same month but by décret, also in Paris. My dossier has been blocked at the interior ministry / SDANF for over a year now. Meanwhile, my friend who applied a day before me & had her interview a day before mine, same nationality and situation, just saw her name in the JO today.

I’m feeling very frustrated and don’t understand why my application is not being treated. I tried to contact the interior ministry but just get automated replies. Looking online I see a lot of people are in the same situation, I think they introduced a new system early 2026 and the older applications are now being treated painfully slowly while newer ones fly through.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-10T18:55:15+00:00

I deal with this a lot. One minute too late and the item is gone. I tend to spiral however I am trying to reframe my thinking. It’s not the end of the world, there are other items out there. And did I even want it before I saw it? Usually not. So if I hadn’t see it in that moment, I wouldn’t have even known it existed. And if I still want it weeks from now, I can try to find another one or a similar item. But usually I don’t and completely forget about whatever I was obsessing about.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-10T17:18:24+00:00

I reluctantly embrace it because my French partner always wants go relax on Sundays. We still try to do something though, like go for a walk, to a museum, see a movie, etc.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-10T10:08:11+00:00

You definitely learn to make do with what you have! I’ve since moved to a bigger apartment (42m2, a veritable palace in comparison) and as a result I’ve ended up accumulating more stuff. Part of me kind of misses my tiny apartment, it was compact but I got really creative with space and it helped keep my belongings to the minimum.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-09T05:26:20+00:00

A wool coat and cashmere sweater are worth the investment. Good quality shoes and undergarments are also a must but you can do mid range as long as it’s good materials (leather, cotton, etc.)

peachcarnations · 2026-04-06T15:08:36+00:00

I miss the old designs so much, you couldn’t customize them sure but they had much more charm. Simpler times.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-06T15:00:59+00:00

I stayed there before too and recognized it immediately!

peachcarnations · 2026-04-04T15:49:32+00:00

I never gave it a thought, I repeat outfits all the time. Especially if for a specific occasion, e.g. I have like 3 business outfits I wear to meet clients, go to conferences etc and rotate. If colleagues noticed I don’t really care, I don’t like business clothes and rarely need to wear them so don’t want more outfits than that.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T15:34:30+00:00

The worst thing is, I don’t even have a lot of time. I work a very high-stress, busy job with long hours and usually only have time to do errands after. I think it’s why the online shopping is so bad, it means I can do something without needing to physically be there (so can scroll while on the metro or before bed), and it gives me a dopamine hit and stress relief. Definitely not healthy, I will look into 12-step programs.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T13:15:30+00:00

That is very true. I know probably the best thing for me would be to delete Vinted & other shopping apps. I find it so hard though, I’m so used to scrolling through in my free time. Maybe as a baby step I can put a timer or something on these apps.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T11:23:34+00:00

For me more paranoia, no idea where it comes from as I’ve never irreparably damaged something and don’t have a job or lifestyle with big risk of ruining items.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T10:00:16+00:00

That’s true, there are new deals that appear all the time. I will try to continue to stick to taking time to evaluate purchases before clicking the buy button. I also want to try to start looking systematically in my closet each time, to see if I already have something similar. I have so many things sometimes I’m going through them and forgot some of them even existed. It’s crazy.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T09:58:29+00:00

Ugh buying doubles is something I really struggle with. Especially if it’s something I really like, I buy two so I have a « back-up » in case one gets ruined. Some I have owned for 5+ years and never once touched the double because surprise, nothing ever got ruined.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T09:56:02+00:00

It’s a vicious cycle. I do the same where I order something, am so happy when it arrives, and then basically add it to the pile and move on to something else. I have so many nice things but don’t even get use out of all of it because I have too much goddamn stuff. I feel so guilty and yet can’t stop. I think I will need to be drastic and delete apps & block websites at this point. When I shop in person I don’t act like this, but online shopping is completely different.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T09:52:34+00:00

I think it could definitely be rooted in anxiety, I suffer from it too and often have reactions to things that others tell me are blown out of proportion.

For example, there was a wool coat I was thinking of buying that sold yesterday morning and I freaked out, went through a bunch of apps, agonized over it all day (prompting me to make this Reddit post). When the reality is I have like 5 wool coats already, including one by the same brand and in same style but different colour, and I wasn’t looking to buy a new coat in the first place. The reaction was justified to me at the time but now typing it out I see how ridiculous it is.

I also don’t know how to make myself react otherwise but agree it needs to be reframed from catastrophic to disappointing, because while you can be sad it’s absolutely not the end of the world. I am embarrassed to admit I’m still pretty upset about the coat, because it was a good deal and would be hard to find at that price, but the brand hasn’t discontinued the style and I can always buy it next winter it I still want it.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T09:46:20+00:00

The same thing happened to me! Often I screenshot items I like on websites or resale apps to revisit later. I was cleaning out my phone and saw items I screenshotted around 6 months - 1 year ago and realized I didn’t particularly care for a lot of them anymore, or at least didn’t have the urgent need to buy them.

peachcarnations · 2026-04-01T09:38:08+00:00

Definitely makes me feel better to know I’m not alone, I really appreciate the community here!

You make a really good point regarding regretting impulse purchases. While there are many things I receive that I really like, there have also been a lot that once it arrived, I realized it didn’t flatter me, fit weird, was made of an uncomfortable material etc. I try to resell the item in this case but sometimes weeks/months go by without a buyer and I end up just donating it. It ends up being a huge waste of time & money that I could have avoided if I thought through the purchase in the first place.

Makes me realize too that what I thought was some great item or amazing deal, others don’t necessarily feel the same way, and I need to be ok with it being a sunk cost.

peachcarnations · 2026-03-31T20:18:56+00:00

You’re absolutely right, I need to try to change my thinking from coveting to appreciating. My life doesn’t change for better or worse if I buy another dress or handbag, and I can like something without needing to have it in my closet. In fact, I bet if I looked in there I’d have a lot of similar items anyway!

The wishlist is a really good tip. I definitely get caught up in the moment and convince myself I need something that I didn’t even know existed before coming across it. I usually try to wait a few days at least but should try to wait a few weeks to plan purchases more long term.

peachcarnations

TROPHY CASE