Not buying any clothes 2017

RainbowHippie

Hello everyone! Sounds like everyone is doing well with considered spends and making the challenge work for them

I've been very busy with work and barely had chance to read or think about posting. Also means i've had zero time for shopping as well though! I have bought four pairs of strong support tights from B**ts but nothing else so far this year. They are not cheap but i need to wear them and my old pairs that i bought last year were completely falling apart and could not be mended any more. No regrets as they are a planned purchase and a necessity for me.

I've finally managed to make headway on my mending/sewing pile, and have made myself a couple of new summer tops from OH's old shirts, re-sized and mended a few other things to get them back into rotation. Today i am planning to replace a zip in OH's shorts to avoid buying a new pair. I've also had a bit of a clear out and listed a lot of old clothes on eb*y, including some things from the alterations pile which i decided were too much effort for something i wasn't sure i'd wear. Got some more to list this week too.

I have been tempted by new sandals (really want some good walking sandals) but as summer is nearly over and i've evidently not been motivated enough to buy them yet, i will wait for next year. I've also temporarily forgotten the challenge a couple of times and gone hunting for bargains in charity shops, but genuinely not found anything i want or need. It helps that after multiple sort-outs i'm now more aware of what i have at home, so there's less risk of accidentally buying 'duplicate' things.

One thing i am realising is that i do not frequently wear a lot of my clothes, and know i have too many (in that my wardrobe is a bit too full to properly see everything!), but find it difficult to let things go as they do bring me joy - there are some things i wear only once or twice a year but really love when i do. Thinking i may pack up about half my wardrobe and rotate what is available for me to wear - the hope being that this will make me 1) wear each available item more often and appreciate it more, and 2) be more able to see what i really never wear and need to get rid of. Not sure i am brave enough to go for a 'capsule wardrobe', but maybe a target number of items would actually be helpful!

Lancashirelass1

Hello all,
I am a very new person on here....I posted last week for a 'bit of advice' and wow is all I have to say, I have been trying to get things down to a point where I can pay off my debts.
How I have got into debt is just basically, well, over spending and being kind with my money, and thinking it was all under control, but then when my dad became very poorly, and he is only 60, it puts life into perspective really and the amount of help I have had this week has been amazing.
So, since last week, I have plucked up courage to post on here, I have opened up bank accounts to start snowballing and I have seen a friend for finance advice.
I start my first debt pay next week.
from now until the next 13 months - I am going to do everything I can to not only pay off my debts, but to form better habits, because there is no point in sustaining all this in a robotic way, paying the debts etc, I have to really get into it all, the budgeting, the looking around etc. and just making it a way of my life, because I cannot do this again really.
I saw this post, I know I am very late posting, but looking through my own wardrobes, I might join and keep reading...sorry if this is not how its done, I'm just trying to find my way around!
In terms of goals, if I have set myself up for long term goals, I could fail, so this is sitting very nicely, with my goal until I see my friend in December on how I have done with my snowballing....so I am paying from August to December towards my debts and also, from now until December I am going to stop buying things I do not need and this will be clothing.
Then I can look at longer terms goals for next year 2018 then.....I don't need anything right now will just further help me towards my first goal for December - plus this will help my finance advice friend sort out a better payment plan towards my debts!


Again apologies if this is not how its done.....I am hoping it is OK - really good post and has got me thinking! thank you
LL

PipneyJane

Lancashirelass1 wrote: »

Hello all,
I am a very new person on here....I posted last week for a 'bit of advice' and wow is all I have to say, I have been trying to get things down to a point where I can pay off my debts.
How I have got into debt is just basically, well, over spending and being kind with my money, and thinking it was all under control, but then when my dad became very poorly, and he is only 60, it puts life into perspective really and the amount of help I have had this week has been amazing.
So, since last week, I have plucked up courage to post on here, I have opened up bank accounts to start snowballing and I have seen a friend for finance advice.
I start my first debt pay next week.
from now until the next 13 months - I am going to do everything I can to not only pay off my debts, but to form better habits, because there is no point in sustaining all this in a robotic way, paying the debts etc, I have to really get into it all, the budgeting, the looking around etc. and just making it a way of my life, because I cannot do this again really.
I saw this post, I know I am very late posting, but looking through my own wardrobes, I might join and keep reading...sorry if this is not how its done, I'm just trying to find my way around!
In terms of goals, if I have set myself up for long term goals, I could fail, so this is sitting very nicely, with my goal until I see my friend in December on how I have done with my snowballing....so I am paying from August to December towards my debts and also, from now until December I am going to stop buying things I do not need and this will be clothing.
Then I can look at longer terms goals for next year 2018 then.....I don't need anything right now will just further help me towards my first goal for December - plus this will help my finance advice friend sort out a better payment plan towards my debts!


Again apologies if this is not how its done.....I am hoping it is OK - really good post and has got me thinking! thank you
LL

Welcome, Lancashirelass. I'm sorry, I missed your post during the week. I'm not on here as much as I'd like to be.

There's not one way of getting out of debt and/or living an OS frugal life. What helps me is a mixture of micro-budgeting and having a "bills account". (It's now our joint account.). The mortgage, the household bills, insurance, etc, all gets paid out of the Bills Account. It doesn't have a debit card and we've never used the cheque book. On payday, I transfer over my share. Housekeeping gets taken out in cash, again on pay day. When I was paying off our debts (>£10k), those payments left my account on payday too. The initial aim is that whatever is left in my bank account on payday is my "money to live off".

Where the micro-budgeting comes in, is setting aside money for treats and goals. It started as saving £10 a month for a pair of decent boots - before then, I'd get to winter and be too broke to buy some. After the "Boot Fund", I added a £5/month "Wool Fund" (I'm a knitter) and then a few others (football season ticket, Proms ticket fund, etc). What it means is that I now have money set aside so that I don't feel deprived when something does come up that I want/want to do and so that I don't go into debt to pay for things. Also, since it's not in my bank account, I won't spend it by accident. I even have one for presents now. It started with the realisation that I was unlikely to notice a trickle of £3 or £5 a month from my account.

HTH.

maryb

I'm glad this thread cropped up again as it has been an opportunity to think back over what I've achieved and what I have failed at.

I've failed at not buying anything at all but I haven't bought very much. My new nighties were a need. And I did sew my own dress from some lovely floral cotton sateen to wear to DD2s graduation so stuck to that part of my pledge.

My friend bought me a very nice silk scarf for my birthday which she said was just my colour. And it was the sort of bluey/pinky colourway that I tend to go for. Trouble was, it was a sort of duckegg blue and I had nothing to go with it. I had some duckegg linen which I have made into a top but I was looking for a cardigan because it tends to be cooler weather when I wear scarves. Couldn't find anything until I saw a minty green acrylic cardigan in M&S. I managed to get that with a 20% off Sparks offer, then I overdyed it with some Dylon China Blue and it came out the perfect toning shade, just slightly darker.

So I thought I hadn't done too badly up to this point.

Until I met my friend for lunch yesterday wearing the duckegg cardigan and her scarf. And then I went into the ECCO shop to get DH a new pair of shoe laces. And they had a pair of duckegg nubuck sneakers in the sale half price in my size, sooo comfy

Well I had to didn't I? Didn't I.....?

Worrierwalker

Yes-you did have to buy those sneakers- just like I had to buy some Wellibobs the other day as it was raining heavily and I was getting wet feet in my trainers :cool:

It was all going so well….

Lancashirelass1

PipneyJane wrote: »

Welcome, Lancashirelass. I'm sorry, I missed your post during the week. I'm not on here as much as I'd like to be.

There's not one way of getting out of debt and/or living an OS frugal life. What helps me is a mixture of micro-budgeting and having a "bills account". (It's now our joint account.). The mortgage, the household bills, insurance, etc, all gets paid out of the Bills Account. It doesn't have a debit card and we've never used the cheque book. On payday, I transfer over my share. Housekeeping gets taken out in cash, again on pay day. When I was paying off our debts (>£10k), those payments left my account on payday too. The initial aim is that whatever is left in my bank account on payday is my "money to live off".

Where the micro-budgeting comes in, is setting aside money for treats and goals. It started as saving £10 a month for a pair of decent boots - before then, I'd get to winter and be too broke to buy some. After the "Boot Fund", I added a £5/month "Wool Fund" (I'm a knitter) and then a few others (football season ticket, Proms ticket fund, etc). What it means is that I now have money set aside so that I don't feel deprived when something does come up that I want/want to do and so that I don't go into debt to pay for things. Also, since it's not in my bank account, I won't spend it by accident. I even have one for presents now. It started with the realisation that I was unlikely to notice a trickle of £3 or £5 a month from my account.

HTH.

apologies for very late reply, I have been trying to prep for my first snowball this week, which feels like I couldnt have prepped as much as I have, and its going horribly wrong, not because of me, I havent done anything, I have been very organised about it all, its been companies I owe money too and changing bank accounts - teething problems I know...but stressful all the same!

I have been keeping a spending diary, and I have looked through all my things now. In terms of the little amounts in the accounts i have now got a bills account (this is what is causing my problems due to the change in accounts) but it will get sorted out.
I also have some accounts that I have named birthdays, one is named MOT/CAR, I have another for shopping so this month I get 250.00 as its a 5 weeks month etc...from my spending diary, anything extra left over goes straight to the biggest cc debt.
But I have pledged to myself not to buy anything, when I gathered up all my beauty products, clothes, make up, gym gear, I dont need anything and i am ashamed really as all the debt i owe was laid out on my bed in my sort out....
so until December my small goal for now is not to buy anything...the only thing i have bought is that my friend went to Macro and she got me some cotton wool - 3 packs at 1.00 in bulk, so I have enough to last me for a year!
I had a hole in my tights last week and I sewed them.....and I fixed a blouse too with the buttons coming off, and for me, this is really a big thing, usually, I would give it away and buy something else, but I havent done that!
I want to live a frugal life and I want nothing else but to get rid of this debt, this site since i joined has helped me so much too!
So my pledge - I am not buying anything, no clothes, no make up, no beauty products and this is my first small goal from now until December!
however, if I have to buy anything like soap or something I will not go on the usual website and buy an expensive one, I will stick to my shopping budget and its gets written into my spending diary!
Thank you for your tips too, I will trickle into my little set aside accounts x

Lancashirelass1

just checking in really - not bought anything for August - test was going into town with my sister as we both love to shop and i didnt buy a thing!
Bring it on to my next review in december which will then be my 5th snowball!!!!!!!!

maryb

Well done. It's hard getting started but then it gets addictive.

I have officially failed at not buying any clothes. I was looking at my winter jumpers and I noticed they all had felted patches on. Realised it was where my back brace was rubbing (fractured a vertebra last year and was in a back brace for three months). The felting was too bad to get out with one of those debobbling brushes. Shops are getting their autumn stuff in so I was able to get replacements in the colours I wear most often.

PipneyJane

Lancashirelass1 wrote: »

just checking in really - not bought anything for August - test was going into town with my sister as we both love to shop and i didnt buy a thing!
Bring it on to my next review in december which will then be my 5th snowball!!!!!!!!

Well done you!

Something I find that helps is to keep a list of what items I actually need, rather than want, so that when I do "go shopping" it has a purpose.

I broke down and bought two pairs of shoes for work last month, spending £90 I was working in a different office and, on my walk in from the carpark one morning, something twinged in the ball of my right foot and it became really painful. This was in a pair of previously comfy loafers, on a hot day when they felt a bit tight. I've walked miles in the damn things previously, without any problems, but can't wear them at all, now, without them hurting. They don't look worn, either, but obviously something must have gone. :mad: I'd worn them fairly constantly for 10 months.

Lancashirelass1

maryb wrote: »

Well done. It's hard getting started but then it gets addictive.

I have officially failed at not buying any clothes. I was looking at my winter jumpers and I noticed they all had felted patches on. Realised it was where my back brace was rubbing (fractured a vertebra last year and was in a back brace for three months). The felting was too bad to get out with one of those debobbling brushes. Shops are getting their autumn stuff in so I was able to get replacements in the colours I wear most often.

it is addictive, the only thing I have bought is my daughters uniform but this isnt in the money that has be counted! but it felt nice to go into town and buy things for her. I still havent bought anything! I am amazed at this little project of mine, spending diary is very slim now which again, amazed at this too!!!
Autumn isnt my favourite time of clothes buying i always think that the shops dont really offer much but its the winter I love!
i have made the pledge though and up to now I am finding it easy to stick to it!
not sure which shops you like, but I do know that they are some lovely jumpers out there, but if you can wait, they get more in around November!