The Completely Crazy 2014 Clothes Challenge

fedupandskint

Welcome about mothernerd to the good ship Crazy Clothes challenge, mods the merrier always here!

There is always lots of support on here as we have all either gone bonkers clothes shopping or feeling very down in the dumps or both.

Good luck with you budget! Please pop back on and let us all know how you are getting on.

little_sweetie

Hi mothernerd, although I'm just a lurker to this lovely thread, I feel a very strong need to respond to your post. I do hope other members will forgive me on this but your post was so heartfelt that I wanted to talk to you.

I don't know why you feel so anxious and guilty about your December splurge as long as it doesn't plunge you into debt. It's a reasonable sum! And it seems that the new dress looks amazing on you. You have done brilliantly well over the last year to get a grip on your health and lose not one but three stones in weight. Well done! :T It sounds as if you are a brilliant mum too with at least one? child at Uni? Now you deserve a little 'me' time. Go for this challenge but don't beat yourself up about your December splurge. Enjoy your new clothes and keep up the good work with your health. You seem to be getting lots of exercise painting and doing up your home. Go girl! <<Hugs>>

kerri_gt

mothernerd I did this challenge a couple of years ago, just popping on here as a confessional this year as clothes aren't my problem spending area (although I might have to rethink that one after my behaviour of late :obit that's another story). I just wanted to echo what the others have said, that you have done amazingly well addressing your health issues, bringing up the kids, working and juggling everything else life throws at you. From what you say you certainly do no have wardrobes bursting with clothes and you little splurge was well thought over,band frankly, you sound like you deserve to move yourself to the front of the queue for once. Enjoy them xx

Goldiegirl

I have amazed my self this month!

I have bought 10 pairs of knickers, and that's it!

I had a £10 voucher from M&S for 'ladies lingerie', so I got 2 packs of knickers at £7 each.

Total expenditure £14, less the voucher is a net spend of £4 ( I only count cash for this challenge, not vouchers, or money in my PayPal account)

So I'm at £4 / £300

The ironic thing is I didn't need the knickers yet, but I didn't want to waste the voucher. I'm now so well stocked, I won't have to buy anymore for years!:rotfl:

fatpat

Mothernerd - First off, welcome to the challenge. I'd just like to say I agree with what others have said so far. Don't feel guilty about the money, you're not in debt and it sounds like you deserved to spoil yourself. It sounds like you're so used to looking after others and juggling so many things remember that you do deserve a treat now and again.

No spends here to report either. Here's to a spend free february.

lavenderlover

Hello, well I've only just joined and it's the end of the month already! Not planning to spend anything in the next couple of days so I think I can declare a spend free January

mothernerd as everyone else has been saying, you are allowed to do something nice for yourself! But even if that wasn't the case, the few items you bought are completely justifiable and I wouldn't refer to them as a "blip". From what you describe it looks as though you actually needed some new items in your wardrobe. So, not only you'd have no reason to feel guilty for any reasonable purchase that made you feel good after all you've done for others and for your health, but what you did buy hardly counts as "splurging", as every single item is going to be useful and from what you write it seems some of the clothes you already own have seen better days. (Also, it depends on your circumstances of course, but £130 isn't that much).

Well done everyone so far

mothernerd

Thank you all for your very kind comments.

I have some credit card debts (mostly from bailing out my sons at moments of crisis). I have very little disposable income but I have two houses (and I have never had a mortgage because I was always too poor/in insecure employment to qualify for one). So I am at both ends of the MSE scale at once. I am looking to downsize as soon as possible and am doing as much as possible myself but some jobs need to be paid for. Spent over £700 this month but that sorts out the roof repairs (I hope) and the kitchen (paid for a damp proof course in October -expensive but necessary, old units were rotten).

DS2 'rents' my old house from me (holding my breath at the moment as it's a bit hit and miss - he had recurring health problems whilst at university and had to re-do his final year without funding. He collapsed at work before Christmas (didn't have any food in the house when I checked) went off sick once the Christmas rush was over, didn't get paid at all one week - hopefully it has all now been sorted out, both health and moneywise but I told him to pay me what he can when he can - he has left me extra a couple of times but is still not up to date.

So I am juggling house repairs with paying off debt (just in case it takes 2 years to sell the house).

So back to clothes, I have started to draw up a wish list of things I would like and a few bits I need. I can sew (hand and machine). I used to be able to make my own patterns or adapt existing ones. My mother gives me things sometimes but as she is flat as a pancake and I have been over-endowed since I was 17, they don't always work. I also used to get a lot of things in charity shops. She's given me a few sweatshirts this year but they all seem a bit short so they've ended up as painting clothes or bed jackets (I am in the attic as DS1s furniture is in the room I was using - it was easier or me to move than carry furniture up two lots of stairs).

I will probably need some socks (the present motley assortment won't last forever and a couple of pairs of thick tights or next winter (the higher the cotton content the better). I have dermatitis and eczema so I love natural fabrics -cotton,linen and silk, although the modern synthetics are a lot easier to wear (polyester used to bring me out in lumps). I thought I would look in a couple of places now as they should be on sale rather than at the start of next winter.

Today I spent £1 on two pairs of socks. I am trying to walk every day but I cleared out the small bedroom last week (washed 8 loads of curtains and bedding) and spent 5 hours on DS3s room yesterday so still aching and it didn't look like the sort of weather for getting stuck in the middle of the woods so I spent a couple of hours wandering round pound shops and charity shops (need some garden things and trying to find some low prices for things I need to buy in February.

I had a really good time and I think this is what I need to do for now - just go through racks of stuff (and there are usually more options in a charity shop than the average department store) and think about what colours make me happy, what I would consider, would this go with that, why do I like or not like this. So on too wet for the woods days I will ramble around the high street, price checking but also checking out stuff and adding to my wish list and thinking about what to buy and what I can make.:j

TheDoolallyDilly

mothernerd I agree with the others that your 'splurge' can hardly be called that, and you deserve to have some nice things. I think your plan (charity shop shopping, and planning) is a good one.

KT2802

Mothernerd I also agree with all the other comments, it sounds like you need to treat yourself and that you deserve to have some nice new things. Good luck and I hope you can start to treat yourself, within budget, and not feel guilty about it.

happytails

Coming on to declare my first months spends as not going to the shops til weekend at the earliest!

£97.82/£500

Ive bought

1 coat for me
1 pair of boots for me (part Birthday gift and part paid for)
1 pair of school shoes for DD1
1 pair of shoes for DD1
1 skirt for me that doesnt fit - will sell
1 pair of trousers for me for summer - linen, reduced from £30 to £4
1 bag for me
1 pair of shorts for DS
1 pair of wellies for DD2
3 pairs of jeans for DD1
1 pair of jeans for me
1 pair of jeans for DH - too small, will sell.
1 Cardigan/cape thing for me
3 new bras for me

All for less than £100 so pretty pleased! :T Though hoping for a VERY low spend this next month.

Sarah x