Sunday, April 10, 2011

Shopaholic Detox

Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a shopping problem. I keep buying clothes!!! (I think it's genetic... my mother and sister have extensive wardrobes like mine. We can't resist a good deal on a great piece!)

Well, as I was putting laundry into my closet, I realized there were tons of things hanging there with PRICE TAGS still on them, even as I was adding items on a regular basis. And if I removed the tags, I totally remember whether I wore something or not. Guilt.

I'm trying to be more smart about money these days. I requested practical birthday gifts, knowing it would save me money. I subscribed to the local paper's Sunday edition for coupons, I read my grocery circular weekly, and I buy what's on sale and plan menus around that. (I was inspired by MTM and the people on Extreme Couponing... though I am still learning!) This week, without the Sunday paper coupons, I saved $17 on my groceries! I'm already planning my next shopping trip around coupons/sales. I also sold video games I don't play for $30 cash, plus I'm gathering items for a big local yard sale.

As for my personal shopping, I am finally budgeting my purchases. I buy something small for the house only after I receive a paycheck, or wait until the end of a month for a slightly bigger purchase. Example, I want a new trashcan for the kitchen. I'm not sure what I want for next paycheck, but something will come up for the house (like new oven mitts, or some fancy foodstuffs from Fresh Market or World Market!) that isn't part of my normal home maintenance/grocery budget. It's good to help keep me on track to only focus on a little something every two weeks versus losing control in between.

Now, for clothes. I am kind of embarrassed by the unworn clothes in my closet... so I am going on a clothing "fast" for a definite/indefinite amount of time. What do I mean? NO MORE CLOTHES, PURSES, or SHOES until I have wore EVERY ITEM at least once. I know, that shouldn't be too difficult, right? Well, I have dozens. DOZENS. Sick, huh? So I'll definitely be reading Girl at the Mirror and What I Wore religiously for ideas on how to wear my clothes. And if I come across an item I refuse to wear? It gets donated to Goodwill. A lot of people thought my last shopping detox had too many loopholes, but this time it's for real.

So until I wear every item once, I'll be shopping in my own closet. Wish me luck! I'll likely have to distract myself studying for the GMAT, baking, or sewing to stay on the wagon. Today I wore a grey romper from NY & Co. that I had never worn before, just to start off on the right foot. Woohoo!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...