Crazy 2011 clothes challenge

Blonde_Ambition

Hi Lula and everyone. Will you please please please let me join this challenge?! I joined about this time last year but had to slink off as I'd blown my budget in the first few months. I didn't give up completely though, the challenge made me more aware of what I was spending. So I totted up everything I spent on all clothes, shoes, boots, underwear, bags and jewellery during 2010. I am ashamed to say the total reached £1500! More than £100 a month. And virtually all of those items were reduced. Oh, what a money saver I like to think I am! I am confessing this to show that I am a bit out of control with my shopping habits!

This morning I read through some of the posts here and on the toiletries challenge and I felt very inspired. I looked at my bank account, which is running very low, and realised I could just about make it to the end of the month with some very careful budgeting. But I was happy about it, thinking it's at least better to realise you're running out of money than when it's too late. I then took a few items back to Banana Republic and left without looking too long at the sale rail (tbh, it was very crowded!) even though I now have credit on the gift card. Then...(deep breath) I stumbled into the sale section of Karen Millen and somehow bought a beautiful dress 70% off but which I can't really afford and don't really need. So I'm going to return it tomorrow. But I'll need to muster up all my strength!

So this long winded post is to ask to join the challenge as I want and need to cut back. I have so many clothes. I'm going to try to do the Gok thing and rethink what I already have in my wardrobe. I'm going to try to buy most of my clothes with eBay money and vouchers from my M&S card (love it!) and any birthday etc and using up any gift vouchers from refunds from over Christmas. Saying that, I'm still going to set my budget at the fairly high amount of £500. This will still be quite a cutback for me and will include absolutely everything I wear including bags, shoes and jewellery. I know I should probably aim lower but I feel, like a diet, if I try to restrict myself too much, I will totally fall off the wagon. So, I hope that's ok.

So weirdly, as long as I return the dress tomorrow, I have spent nothing out of my budget so far!

Thanks everyone.

Shoe_Gal

Hello

I have spends to report - £19, for a dress for work (needed), tights (needed) and earrings (whoops )

verynewmoneysaver

Hi, Could I join again please. I'm also going to set my budget at £500 which I know is high but if I stick to it it'll be a saving for me. I tend to buy clothes to cheer me up and don't always end up wearing them. Many thanks.

Catslovelycats

gone through wardrobe & clothes drawers :A
pulled out so many things I don't wear and am not likely to that I need 2 bin bags!
found some items in the drawer unit in wardrobe that I didn't know I had

please someone tell me why I have 4 sets of bikinis .... :eek:

have also gone through my handbag drawer and pulled out 2 that I'll pop onto eBay

even cleared out the 3 drawers in my bedside cabinet
will say no more other than 2 of the drawers are now totally empty :rotfl: & the other only contains a notebook, pen, Bible and "Lady Elizabeth" my bedtime book
how long will this last? :rotfl:

Catslovelycats

verynewmoneysaver wrote: »

Hi, Could I join again please. I'm also going to set my budget at £500 which I know is high but if I stick to it it'll be a saving for me. I tend to buy clothes to cheer me up and don't always end up wearing them. Many thanks.

You could be my twin in all respects!
Welcome to the group vnm and enjoy your new hobby! :money:

Catslovelycats

BA you sound like you know exactly what you're doing and I think you're sensible. We all have to start somewhere! I set my target high as well because I don't want to spectacularly fail this - though peeps on here will prob say there is NO failure here...

Lula-Hula

Hello & welcome back (from the 2010 CCC) to Blonde Ambition & verynewmoneysaver

It's great that you want to play again :j

As to 'failure' if you learned anything at all about your spending habits & not buying what you dont need, then that's an achievement

Happy New Clothes to all who have them & that includes me.

Today I received a fab new dress from Joe Browns, I love it & even DD liked it & said it was really 'me'. This however, is not coming out of my budget as I received some cash for my birthday which I've put in a separate account for my personal treat spends & that dress is one of them.

I do have a small CCC spend to declare though. I've bought a cardi from ebay for the grand sum of £3.25. I've been searching for one that's the right colour to go with a dress for ages & was outbid on another ( it went for £23) so although this isnt quite as nice it sure is cheaper :rotfl:

Cant remember who, but someone was asking about wheterh to include postage in the cost of an item ??

No way Jose :eek:, we're on a strict enough budget as it is & I sure wouldnt include travel costs ( car parking, train /bus fare etc).

By the way this is NOT an encouragement to spend the required amount just to get free delivery ... that way lies financial ruin - been there done that :rotfl:

Added new members to the list & updated our collective budget

bye for now
xx

Catslovelycats

Lula-Hula wrote: »

Cant remember who, but someone was asking about wheterh to include postage in the cost of an item ??

No way Jose :eek:, we're on a strict enough budget as it is & I sure wouldnt include travel costs ( car parking, train /bus fare etc).


xx

That was me. Lula Hula. Thanks :T- I decided not to count it.
KNow what you mean about spending enough to get free delivery.:rotfl: In the past I'd spend £10s more just to save a fiver in p&p. NOT ANY MORE THOUGH, thanks to this site!:rotfl::T

little_h_2

hi, I have a spend of £7.50 to declare. £4 on a pair of holdups that I couldn't resist and £3.50 on some pants in Tescos. won't be buying them again, half of them have the leg holes stitched slightly different so they are a bit tight on one leg, and the others are too long in the body for me.

I can't bring myself to put the poor Tesco folk through having to take back pairs of tried on pants so will chalk that up to experience and stick to M&S instead! :mad:

I bought a dress last weekend too but it will be worn solely for my 2nd job and I have to buy things when I find them for that so hadn't included in my target. It was £37 but reduced from £110 so was very pleased.

Looking at my spends this month, think i need the toiletries challenge instead! I don't use much but everything seems to have run out at once! :eek:

just had a 20% off voucher for Matalan and got lots of nice stuff in there with christmas money from my mum, so will head back after next pay day and see if there is anything nice. Otherwise I will use it on bed linen

oh - and bras - a bit slow on the uptake but here's my schedule! I find Next fit me best these days. They seem to go through the washing machine really well. I have 2 at the moment that I wear for everyday stuff (both very lairy colour/patterns) and I swap them over so wear on alternate days then they go in the wash at the weekend.

Pants wise, I don't match but try to ensure colours/patterns at least vaguely co-ordinate! I have a mortal fear of greying undies so have got round this since my teens by a constant supply of black! i hate wearing nude colours but sometimes it does have to be done :rotfl:

Most expensive item - an unworn wedding dress (cancelled wedding sadly) - bright purple Alexander McQueen evening gown reduced from £1800 to £400 from The Outnet. not yet worn but hope to enjoy it lots over the years to come - it has a train though so not sure how that will work, can't bear to cut it off though!

Other than that, a Karen Millen suede coat reduced from £450 to £200 - not worn more than a handful of times yet but I am determined to make good use of it this year!

romylou_2

Hello:wave: (She says sheepishly)

Sorry I've not been on for a while, but I've had nothing to report. I've been an absolute saint when it comes to clothes shopping:A

Well so far anyway, my budget is still intact:).

There is a very good reason for this though, Im about 2st overweight and I, POINT BLANK REFUSE to buy bigger clothes!!!

When I shift a few pounds, I may treat myself,but until then, I'm going to stay strong.

At the moment I'm trying to transform myself from Blobby to Babe:o

Oh, my goal this year is to find the ultimate Little Black Dress. I've never had one and its not through lack of searching (believe me I do look) but it has to be right for me.