I’m really trying to make an effort this year to remix my clothes. I have so many nice items in my closet that it’s kind of ridiculous. I have more than enough to get by and I don’t need to be spending money on more clothes when there are much more deserving areas in our finances where that money can..and should be going.
And since jumping into the blogging world, it’s been an overload of brands and labels and the latest and greatest trends. Admittedly, I’ve found myself scouring the Internet for an item a blogger was wearing or stopping at stores on my way home from work to pick up a sale item and realized just how time consuming and crazy it all was. I always seemed to be on the hunt for the next thing to “complete” my wardrobe, but let’s be serious…I was never really going to “complete” it. No one ever is!
That said, I have decided to adjust my clothing resolution a bit more instead of just setting a monthly clothing expenditure. After being inspired by Sarah from Tucker Up, I’ve decided to try and take her lead. What did she do? She decided not to shop for a year. And she came out alive!!
Hold on a minute. WHAAAAT?!
Let’s be real, I don’t think I could just stop shopping cold turkey. But I DO feel like I could do something like this on a small scale for ALL the reasons she mentions. In fact, Sarah wants to continue her challenge this year, but adjust it slightly, to allow one herself to buy one item per month.
I am going to attempt to follow her lead this year, buying only one item per month.
Here are the only exceptions (some of which I am borrowing from Sarah):
1) If I have an item and it breaks/wears out (i.e.- a heel breaks, a sweater gets a hole)…I can replace it with something similar.
2) Undergarments do not count.
3) I can “swap” clothes with a friend, or accept presents for special occasions. (A random Friday is not a special occasion.) Also, complimentary items from brands that I decide to partner with on my blog don’t count.
4) Any income I make from selling clothing or accessories I no longer want, I can use to purchase something else, or put it towards the cost of my one item. (Honestly, I don’t think this is a loophole- I don’t foresee myself selling all that much this year—after cleaning out my closet in December, there isn’t much I want to sell.)
5) And the final exception is if it’s in God’s plan for me to bear a child in 2014, I think that gives me means to drop the challenge, or at least alter it significantly.
So there you go…I’m putting it out there for everyone to see, so now I HAVE to hold myself accountable. Gulp.
Wish me luck! I think it will be tough, but so rewarding in the end. An eye opening experience for sure!
PS- don’t forget to enter my Core Power Fit Kit giveaway!
Linking up with Molly for YOLOMonday.
Ooo, #5 ;)
I really like her list and yours too! I was thinking about how you have a clothing budget recently, and how it’s a fun hobby for you (so just similar to how people invest money in their hobbies). :) I bet the one-item challenge will make the hobby even more fun :)
Yeah it’s similar to other hobbies like racing or crafting or whatever! The one-item thing will definitely make it more challenging, but also rewarding to free myself of all the excess consumerism!
Good luck, lady! BUT….I’m kind of hoping number 5 ruins your plans! :)
Thanks friend :-) You are too cute! Will call you soon!
I would have to agree with Andrea! #5 plan works for us! Love you! xoxo
Thanks Maaaam! You are too funny :-)
Good for you! You can definitely do it, good luck!
xo, Yi-chia
Always Maylee
Thank you Yi-chia- I appreciate the support! Should be an interesting challenge for sure!
Best of luck. I also need to cut myself off for awhile, so I’ll be trying to follow your lead.
Thanks Lisa- I will need it! It will be tough but so worth it in the end…for my budget and for me mentally!
Woohoo! I am so excited for you! I think this is a great challenge and I like the place that is coming from. I like that you decided to just buy one thing for month. That gives you a little leeway but it is still a really significant change!
Exactly! I think a “no shopping ban” would have been unrealistic so one item a month is a nice compromise- a step in the right direction! Thanks Ashley!
Wow, good luck! This sounds like a great idea. I’m planning to cut back majorly too this year.
Thank you- I hope I can stick with it..I’m sure going to try! Good for you on cutting back too!
I love this idea! It fits right in with what I’ve been feeling on simplicity & organization. I may be trying this as well!
I love it! It’s definitely a challenge but I think it’s do-able, right!? Oooh I hope so! :-)
I do this!!! I don’t shop a ton- instead I try to “curate” my closet. Sometimes it takes me awhile, but I save up for items I really need and the best quality I can afford. I’ve built up basic, quality pieces and work around that. This has lead to me keeping things a lot longer and even though I wear the same things a lot, I’ve really learned to mix and match!
That’s a fantastic way to shop! I think I’ve evolved to the mindset that I’d rather have one higher quality item versus 5 crappy ones that will either wear out or go out of style too quickly. Investment pieces all the way!
Oh gosh I should do this. I really really really should do this. I’ve already promised Travis I’m not shopping in January after getting such great gifts for the holidays, so I’ll give myself this month to consider jumping in on this plan with you!
YES! I’d love to have someone to do this with (or send links to things I am obsessing over so they can tell me to get over myself and not buy it HAHA)! Let me know how your January goes!
I think your plan sounds great, I feel like I shopped like crazy between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I really want to wait to shop again until it warms up. Some of my favorite things were bought because I saw them on Instagram or another blogger, but I really don’t need to “buy all the things” very exciting about the potential baby too!
Thanks Ginny! I completely agree- I go on shopping overload at the end of the year so I’ve had my fill- hopefully it will last me for a while! :-)
I’m a new follower so I just wanted to say hello. Your blog is so cute. I am also taking a page from Sarah’s book and doing a spending freeze for the year! Good luck and hope to get and give support throughout the year! Feel free to send notes!
Hi Cynthia- thank you so much for reading! And way to go- a spending freeze altogether? You go girl! Let’s do this!!!
What a great idea!! My first plan of action this year is to get my email under control and have all the sale emails sent to a separate folder so I’m not tempted. I always break down in February or so because I’m SO TIRED of my winter clothes but I’m going to try harder this year to just make new outfits with what I have instead of just buying things I see on other people.
That is a great start– I just unsubscribed altogether to avoid temptation myself. It is so hard by the end of the winter not to shop but I really need to remix my stuff a bit more! I think a clothing swap party may be in order by the end of Feb or something lol!
Good for you Valerie. I totally agree with you that I am always trying to find a piece that another blogger is wearing, to my wallet’s detriment!!!!! As you already know I am working towards not buying too many pieces of clothes. I also have more than I will ever need. Good luck.
Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.com
Exactly- well said Agi! We can both do it! Good luck to you too!
Yayayyay!! I am just now getting down my email list and I have had this one starred. SO proud of you and can’t wait for you to see how wonderful this challenge is!
WOO HOO! Thank you Sarah- you are my inspiration for this!!!
Good luck! I’ve been thinking about this myself after starting yet another hefty closet cleaning and think that once I’m done with that, I’ll see what I have left. I’m trying to be ruthless with my cleanout. It’s hard!
I do like your budget posts though… what do you think you would do instead?
Yeah after we got our new closet, I did a massive clean out and it was so much easier to see how much stuff I truly had. I think I can work with what is in my closet without buying more stuff! As for mu budget posts, I still plan to do them to hold myself accountable and showcase the one item I buy each month!
I love that you’re doing this, Valerie! I know that I need to get my spending under control and start to wear the things that I have more. I have a closet FULL of really nice clothes that I do love, and I need to stop buying things just to buy them. I love remixing my closet and am in the middle of a 30×30 right now, and it’s been a great way for me to see just how much I can do with such a small number of pieces! I really like your idea of allowing yourself one piece per month – that’s going to be a fun challenge for you! I’m really proud of myself because I was away for a long weekend with one of my best friends, and although we went shopping several times, I only bought a sweater and a pair of leggings the entire weekend (and that’s all I’ve bought this month as well). YESSSS.
Thank you so much for the support Brynn! I think it’s a good challenge..tough, but doable! And SO proud of you for your shopping haul during your visit! I’d like to do a lot more remix challenges, those are so fun and almost like a puzzle to figure out what goes with what!
So proud of you!!