Getting a grip! Welcome to the September No Spend/ Low Spend S&B challenge

[Laska42]

Welcome to the continuing NO Spend/ Low spend clothes challenge for September.

A huge Well Done to all who stayed with us for August. We had some great no spend results, even if we didn’t all make it, (Oops Laska ) but we all learnt what our triggers are and we all spent less.

So, a definite success; and now it’s time to sign up and pledge to get a grip in September.

And a big welcome to old and new S&B obsessed MNers - who just can’t stop buying it all - to join us in our quest to get a grip.

So, what’s it all about?

We all LOVE new clothes, but are short on the willpower to resist, and quite frankly its getting too much ..

We have wardrobes and chest of drawers utterly and totally rammed... a lot of us did make an effort to get rid of some of it last month, (though, come on, we probably do have more we can shift ).

We have piles of clothes and shoes we've even forgotten we have, (some with the labels’ still on) .

And it’s a new season -Danger Time-.

But we want to get back into control and wear the lovely things we have and stop being a slave to every new catalogue, website and blog ..

We want to resist the sales and offers and we want our friends and neighbours to know us better than the postmen and the local couriers !

We know they want us to buy into their new lifestyle looks , but we are stronger than them.
-Throw out your catalogues as they arrive!
-Unsubscribe to online shops!

-And let’s get creative and stay stylish without spending even more £££s and without adding to the piles of unused stuff we already have...

So here we go again...

Some Rules
Either commit to No Spend or to a set budget.
Exceptions to No Spend are tights, underwear (knickers and bras) and to replace something that has Genuinely worn out.
Last month we decided that if we did get something then a One in One out policy was a good idea

Lets help each other kick this habit!

We know its hard and we will have to continue to be accountable to each other ..BUT WE CAN DO IT!

So Who's in again?

Day 1 done....had slight wobble walking past the new season stuff in Hobbs. Saw a gorgeous dress. Realistically though I'm still too fat to look nice in it. And when I'm less fat, I have some lovely Hobbs dresses in my wardrobe.

Day 1 successfully completed here too. One day at a time, ladies, one day at a time.

I'm ducking out on the no spend September as I may have already made a purchase but will keep that under wraps for the blog. I will however commit to a budget that I have set for myself. Chuffed that I didn't spend a penny in August and it's really made me reassess how I spend. Good luck to you brace souls.

Hi ladies,

New to the thread but joining because I am moving house and also 5 months pg (scan tomorrow). I work in a professional job but for myself from home so mostly no need for office/meeting wear. I also have plenty from previous roles although some a little out of date.

Did a car boot with a friend on Sunday and clothes (specifically her very expensive items she was selling dirt cheap) were going very well - prices £1-5). We are going again and I have loads to sell but I think I may do better with some items on eBay.

So, to those of you with experience, my question is: is eBay worth the effort? How will I get on with various brands - should I put reiss, boden, white stuff, lk bennett on eBay and then car boot the rest? How about shoes/boots - have a range of great lk bennett items that are not that worn but I am always worried that I'll get returns if I don't detail every tiny scuff. Would love some advice.

Other than that, ideally I'd like to commit to only spend £150 this month (I have probably spent only £500 this year, compared to thousands in other years) and that money will be spent mostly on a few maternity items; hopefully at the NCT sale this weekend.

Good luck everyone!

You will definitely get far more on Ebay for brands that you have suggested Bohemond. I know you're pregnant but could you or someone else model the items and then crop off your head. I've had much better success showing the items this way. Good luck.

Thanks sludge - I've got a dress makers dummy which I think I can use. Do you think that will be ok?

Marks place.

Dress makers dummy will be perfect. I always think it somehow look more professional when clothes are modelled on a dummy.

bohemond I have a few maternity clothes I will be getting rid of in the next few months, mainly size 14 - would they be of interest to you? If so, PM me!

I think a dress makers dummy is perfect Bohemond, so much better than showing on a hanger

Day 2 - no spend

I'm not asking to join just yet as autumn is my favourite time for clothes and I love September shopping far too much. But, if you're still around in October/November when the Christmas tat hits the shops, then I'll be back.

And (if I'm still allowed an opinion) leggings are footless tights and therefore definitely count as underwear

I agree floisme! ( because I want to! ) they are definately underwear..

I wore the navy pair today under a flowing blue flowered cotton lawn shirt (H&M, several years old ) and a short blue jersey Toast skirt bought in their sale (before we started the challenge in August) along with my good old Clarks freckle face navy nubuck flats (2 years old and best shoes ever .. What will i do when they finally wear out? ) ..

Felt like it was just the right outfit for work today ( even though it got quite hot here this afternoon) .

However, at one point in the dayI also wore jeans, steel toe-capped builders boots, a hazard vest in a fetching neon yellow and a hard hat ! (inspecting a site) ..

But no spend (on me) for me today though I did buy my DS some trainers in Blacks sale .. (believe me he needed them!).

Nothing for me though! even though there were some great bargains (especially North Face winter jackets )

How is everyone else doing ?

No spends so far but its early days yet. I've got a lot on at work so I'm welcoming the distraction but I will need to remind myself I don't need another outfit for my holiday in a few weeks time.

I've got loads of necklaces, scarves and bangles that I don't wear often enough and use them to jazz up some holiday outfits instead.

Day 2 done - no spends

Bought a jumper (H&M) . I was drawn to the grey and the blue (dark teal/petrol blue rather than a navy) but not the pink or caramel.
In the end I bought a putty shade - out of my usual colour comfort zone but neutral enough to look classy/expensive.

No spend here,

Day 3 without shopping but I have to admit I am getting an itch to shop! Have still been looking at websites so need to have a break from that to see if it helps. Sept 30 seems a long way off. Out of 6 items I was expecting (bought in Aug) I am only keeping 2. Now that they have all arrived though, I am no longer getting my shopping 'fix'. So now will be the tough bit.

I'm doing well so far. Deleting any company emails without reading them and have not even thought about buying anything.

I'm late to the party but can I join? I need to stop spending, if I see money in the account after 1st (all major bills have gone out) I start shopping but it stops here! I love autumn shopping so I'm going stay off the clothing websites and blogs.

Youngest DC starts pre-school next week which frees me up for 4 hours a day so I'm going to hit the gym hard, anything to keep me out of the shops.

I'm in again! One Aztec print midi skirt bought from charity shop but back at work now so that should help.

I have bought absolutely nothing. I am feeling very strong!

I'm waiting for 3 bags to arrive (Zatchels - so could be weeks yet). Will keep at most 1. Wondering whether to just cancel the entire order.

I ordered them at the beginning of August - so I haven't broken my September ban!