Let me list my rules in more specific detail now and then I can show you what I did this week!
Rules
1.No buying any new clothes for myself from January 1st 2010 to January 1st 2011.
*Exception* Here is what I CAN buy new:
* nursing/regular bras
* underwear
* socks
(Seeing as how I will be having a baby in April, my boobs truly take on a life of their own, as well as my feet and backside SO unless I wanna scare people away, I need to have some of REALLY good support system in place for these things.)
2. If someone gives me clothes for a present, that's fine but that also means I cannot talk my husband into buying me those Express Jeans I want or he loses a limb. If I get a gift card or gift certificate, I cannot use it to buy new clothes unless it's on my okay list. I think that basically covers it.
Now, WHY am I doing this again? I have had a few people tell me I am insane, or I can't last, or it's a dumb idea, but here's why I am doing it. I belive in living within one's means, I believe that happiness CAN be found in simple things and not JUST material things, I believe I have believed in the past that I am a better person when I look nice and have the latest styles. Here's what I am trying to accomplish in this task:
*learning to like myself without having to put a new, pretty shirt on first
* saving money
* wearing what I have already and appreciating that I have had the means to buy clothes I am comfortable in
*living what I preach
When I sat down and looked through 2009 spending habits, I found I averaged $200 a month on new clothes for myself. That's $2400 in on year on clothes, and frankly I think that's insane considering what we bring in a year, financially. That's just for me. If I can go one year without spending any money on new clothes, that's $2400 saved to go for a house down payment, or retirement, but money I think can be spent better somewhere else.
Now, to get down and into the nitty gritty...
I sat down and did an inventory of all my clothes, yes ALL of them. (Please keep in mind I am currently wearing maternity clothes and did not count those.)
Here is what I found I had:
Jeans- 18 pairs
T shirts, tank tops and cami's- 74
Long sleeved shirts and blouses- 55
Skirts, shorts and nice slacks- 23
Is your jaw on the floor yet?
Now, for some pictures....
The jean pile. I was rather awestruck thinking that if I wore one pair everyday I wouldn't have to wash any jeans for over 2 weeks!!!
Just SOME of the t shirts, the rest are in this box already neatly packed.
One of the 4 rubbermaids I packed clothes away in.
Now, after I packed the rubbermaid under-the-bed boxes, I cleaned out my closet and here is what it now looks like.
My clothes are on the left, hubby's on right. We have a rather smal bedroom so we don't have a dresser, instead those awesome rubbermaid drawers.Now, what I did was keep all my maternity clothes out, plus those that still fit me or will after baby is born. ( I guess after you have baby #4 you have quite the stockpile of *transition* clothes, so you see a lot of that in there. Had I not been pregnant, I still planned on putting some clothes away and basically halving my wardrobe and seeing how long I could go that way.
It was truly SHOCKING for me to put all my clothes on my bed and see what I had. There were shirts in there I haven't worn in 2 years, but still fit, I still really like and just got shoved back to the hiding part of the closet.
So, this week was mostly a cleansing stage and a place to start. I will be updating my blog ever Friday and thank you for reading so far.
Love and laughter,
Julie
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