For reasons that were not exactly clear to me, I made the decision this time last year to challenge myself to not purchase any clothes in 2013. At first, it was something silly and fun that no one, including myself, thought would actually happen, but then it turned into a huge practice of self control.
I have never been that much of a shopper. I wore a uniform to school starting in 7th grade so I had no reason to be a fashionista. It was not until I got to college that I realized how important a wardrobe is. I partly have Megan Webb to thank for for that. :)
Well anyway, I had seen my shopping habits become a little bit obnoxious. I was buying things I didn't need just because they were cheap and sometimes next to nothing. That realization led me to challenge myself this past year. I look back now and say that it was easy, but I can remember now sometimes when I literally felt overwhelmed by my desire to buy clothes. I had a set of rules that I had made for myself to follow to keep me in line and keep me from making exceptions on impulse.
Rules:
1. Cannot purchase any clothing for myself.
2. Cannot wear clothes bought for me by anyone else until the new year.
(I tried to make most of my family aware of this rule, but some of them did not listen so I have some clothes they bought for me sitting in my closet in a bag just waiting to be worn.)
3. If clothes are offered to me for free, I am allowed to take them.
(I now realize how cheap this makes me look, but I had good intentions.)
4. I am allowed to buy clothes for others.
5. Shoes are considered clothing.
6. Accessories are allowed.
(I made this rule to keep me from going crazy. I only purchased a few accessories this year.)
There were a few times in my journey that I really struggled. The first came when I went with a friend to what I thought was going to be a mall trip. Malls don't really interest me because most of the items are full price. It's the deals that I struggle with. :) This "mall" actually was a mall that had been shut down and nearly everything was less than $10. I literally had to sit in a chair and texted people to keep my mind off of the clothes and shoes. I was going crazy. There were hundreds of items that I wanted and couldn't have. I eventually made my way to the housewares section and bought a couple plates and mugs.
There were sometimes I had to make some exceptions. I had to buy black shorts for my job with the Grand Prairie AirHogs this summer. I also bought an AirHogs tshirt as a memory, and that time I had completely forgotten about my challenge. I felt bad, but I just told myself not to wear it until the new year.
My brother came home one day with some awesome Texas Ranger shorts and shirt. He thought that if he bought them for me I would wear them...I haven't. They are sitting in my closet...that was a dark time as well.
It was also difficult when I started working out and wanted to buy some good workout clothes...but again, I refrained.
I learned a lot this year. It made me realize how many clothes I have. It's an unnecessary amount. I am in the process of going through all of it. Most of them are from Goodwill and cost me less than $5 a piece, but I still am uncomfortable with the amount of clothes I have. This year allowed me to watch the trends come and go. I have been able to see what I actually like rather than buy based on fad and impulse. I also saved a lot of money that I was able to put to better purposes. I was able to build up my savings a bit as well. I honestly can't believe I made it a whole year. I am going shopping today, and I don't know if I am going to be able to purchase anything without feeling weird about it. I spent an entire year telling myself no. But needless to say, I'm ready to do a little bit of shopping today.