Feeling Frugal for 2015

[FrugalMcDougal]

I'm planning a clothes/ make-up buying ban for at least the start of 2015 and just buying things when I really need them.

I have a good amount of clothes and accessories and think I could be much more creative in how I wear them instead of going for my old favourites when I'm rushing in the mornings. I want to make the most of what I have.

I'm aiming high and imagining myself planning the next day's outfit the night before.

Anyone interested in supporting each other and sharing outfits?

I've now been frugal since Christmas Day. And I'm feelin' good!!

ventured into town today. helped DM buy an outfit for family event, but bought nothing for myself (despite seeing a super cute white staff skirt on sale - blue with pheasants...., a lovely monsoon skirt i was lusting after (also sale), and a really lovely top in warehouse which would be lovely for work...).

i left my cards at home, and only took a tenner with me in case dm wanted coffee.

I've been good clothes wise this week - I'd ordered a jumlper from h and m and a few pairs of boots from Clarks, all vastly reduced in the sale. However I don't love any of them so they're going back, as did two black shift dresses from m and s, despite their being cheap as chips. So now I need to move on from buying abd returning to not buying at all!
I did also discover no7 eyeshadow crayons and bought 4 using the £3 off vouchers. This may seem excessive but I love them - I've been really struggling with eyeshadow recently but the texture of these and their ease of application is great and I feel my make up kit is now complete. Honest!

Good plan leaving cards at home...maybe I should close my paypal account!!

to FrugalMc, Peonies, Ememem, Petal and everyone else still not spending! Well done! I bought a pair of slippers in the sale for my MIL (we'll pay her a visit soon) but otherwise no purchases. Have not looked at any blogs and have blocked all shopping sites and disabled Safari on my iPad and iPhone to make sure that there are no slipups. I should disable PayPal too.

I've found that the nervous flitting between blogs and forums often makes me feel irritable and low - perhaps it's the picture perfect lives of others vs my personal reality. Decided to test it by staying offline after work last week and I've definitely felt happier. Felt like a freak first but found this story about someone else who feels the same. Shopping urges fade away when I am not browsing and comparing: as a result, I feel happier and more present in the moment.

Enormouse good luck with your studies - sounds fascinating and I am sure you will be able to handle the transition! Peonies I've been to Belfast once, a weekend trip with a good friend and my mother, one of those trips that I will remember forever as it was full of moments of connection and discovery that make things memorable!

FrugalMc the things you are doing are things I want to learn too! I find men are quite reluctant to verbalize this type of stuff. Light talk is easy, really important and weighty stuff isn't, but surprisingly we had one of those talk today (when DH was busy folding his sweaters and stuffs). We talked about big life decisions (we are moving this summer). Mind you, nothing about greater purpose of life, but I just explained to him what makes me happiest and he reciprocated. Very surprisingly, he started talking about that earning more money would not make him feel more fulfilled, and then he detailed a few things that he felt really do make him happy. With him, it's often like this - 'let's sit down and talk' never works, but I asked him a question in passing a few days ago when we were clearing away lunch plates, and today he was ready to reply.

Daim I love your idea of 'windows of reflection'. I'm a go-go-go type A person, shutting up is particularly hard for me. I'm now giving Headspace a try. I have done unguided meditation quite a bit before I had children and it was very important for me but I need something now that I can do even when I am insanely busy. I'm now combining my daily moment with Headspace with my morning walk: I sit in a beautiful spot and somehow that calm feeling sustains me during the rest of the day!

Ememem leaving cards at home really works!

Blue I so hear you. I have been in that place countless times. Just sending you lots and lots of resolve and positive thoughts!

Leedy your outfit sounds fab and FrugalMc loving the leopard harems! Please do keep describing your outfits - it's inspiring to hear that people can be both frugal and stylish! Coincidentally I'm wearing a pair of plum skinnies today!

todays outfit is for practicalities not style.

old ratty full of holes skinnies (pretty sure a new hold opened up near my bum cheek earlier)
couple of old tshirts layered up
one of dads old hoodies.
hair piled on top of head, no make up. no jewellery.

reason - i am finishing the DIY bits that need to be done, and am blitz cleaning the house (including the oven for the second time this week because the first time i didn't have enough cleaner!)

so squeaky clean house, crap clothes that won't matter if i get bleach/paint/plaster on them.

tomorrow i will attempt to be more stylish.

Daim I'm also trying to stop the shopping and then returning. It's such a waste of time.
Frugal Thank you for the good wishes. Feeling much better this weekend. Had an interview yesterday and was offered the job. Alas the location turns out not to be right for me but it made me reflect that I'm good at my job, that my skills are valued and that the role I'm currently in remains the right one for me at this time.
No shopping online or otherwise today. Family walk through the countryside and a hot chocolate at the riverside cafe. Pizza evening tonight, watching The Voice with DD who is a big fan.
I am setting myself a challenge of putting my phone and ipad down. The only browsing time I will allow myself each day is on my 20 minute train journey home from work. That will include social media, blogs, forums and shopping. I agree that I want to feel more present in the moment.

jigsaw puzzle started today, very soothing, kept me offline

In the spirit of frugality and because the house has gotten really messy, I've joined the kondo threads. Hopefully the full scale tidying will keep me busy and away from shopping.

Fingers crossed for everyone - great resolutions!

Weekend are an overshopping danger zone for me but yesterday went really well: I found time for exercise and playing with children. We had an outing in the afternoon and a joyous moment blowing soap bubbles at sunset on a hilltop. I made a risotto from leftovers for supper. Cooking for me is often really meditative and soothing and it felt like a miracle that some leftover stock from a roast last week and a wilting radicchio could become a delicious meal. Often these types of spontaneous evening meals with DH are the moments when we really relax and talk and connect over a glass of wine. By resisting distractions online I managed to have time for lots of great moments in just one day!

I've been thinking about the rhythm of my days: the moments when I'm really focused on one activity and totally absorbed by it (cooking, baking, reading, writing, being with someone, watching a film, listening to a podcast...) seem like the best ones. I think those are flow states in my life. I get that type of buzz of being totally absorbed from shopping too but there are other ways to get the same feeling. Choppy days when I'm trying to multitask make me feel anxious and overwhelmed. So I think in the coming days and weeks my focus will be on getting rid of distractions and finding more time for uninterruped activities. If anyone else is struggling with similar stuff, Brigid Shulte's Overwhelmed is a fantastic book tha has really helped me to see how I could reorganize my days and I'm right now reading The Distraction Addiction by Alex Pang.

This is a fabulous thread. I've always been a shopper but it's got worse due to two almost-consecutive maternity leaves where I've used the excitement of getting a delivery to overcome the tedium of raising two small kids (love them as I do :-)) Finally getting out of maternity clothes has also triggered mass over-shopping which has been hard to stop.
But I must stop as my wardrobes are overflowing and I don't need any more clothes! It's very difficult to find other distractions but I also need to to keep control of my finances.
Browsing online is my biggest downfall..... Together with thinking this or that item will fill the gap in my wardrobe and then that will be it. But it never is it as there's always something else I 'need' or something pretty that I can't resist.
I also blame smartphones. In the past, getting out my laptop was an effort. Now, it's just too easy!!!

Whoah BlueEyedWonder the idea of your browsing ban has made me go a bit cold. Which is possibly an indication that I should do the same thing!

No spending here although I am fighting temptation. I saw a top yesterday that is a style I've been after for ages. I'm trying to decide if the perceived 'wardrobe gap' that it fills is a complete fallacy and just an excuse to keep buying. After all, I've managed this long without it. I also won't be able to wear it how I visualise until the weather warms up, so April at the earliest? That's 3 months hanging in the wardrobe which breaks my wear or return within 28 days rule!

Just writing this has made me decide. I'm going to delete the picture from my phone.

Welcome Oly! I know exactly what you mean: the housebound day-to-day with small children, the buzz of browsing and shopping and the continous stream of 'presents' and 'treats'... Hope you will find some good tips and support here!

Peach well done if you managed to delete the pic. When I have shopping urges and I try to follow Dr Benson's advice and treat it as an itch that I won't scratch. No urges currently as I have blocked everything and haven't gone back to browsing.

Loving the Alex Pang book. I'm a distracted multitasker and the book explains the difference between multitasking and task-switching (the former is essential for many complex tasks - the latter is those self-induced interruptions that we often experience with technology). The book recommends tracking time spent online - I've found I have time for exercise and meditation every day for the past week if I cut out idle browsing. The author also interviews Buddhist monks - they say that all distractions come from within...

I need to really focus at work and wanted to explore how much task-switching I do in one day and where my distractions come from. For starters, I wrote down how many times today I checked my e-mail - 15 times, and often when I wanted momentary relief from a particularly difficult or boring task. (Previously I would have browsed online stores or blogs in similar situations.) I need e-mail in my work but two or three checks per day would be enough. I then downloaded program Freedom that takes me offline for a predetermined amount of minutes (I started with 15 minutes). With the temptations and distractions switched off, I was able to surprise a co-worker by finishing in one afternoon a tricky task that would normally take days. I think I will continue re-evaluating how I actually spend my days...

I've continued to browse online and window-shop, but am feeling very pleased that I can still look at clothes and shoes with making a purchase.

Once I get to the end of January, I'll end my 'cold turkey' period, and hope to able to shop with restraint. I'm enjoying feeling in control, and am hoping this will stand me in good stead.

Also, rather than the perpetual cycle of 'buy it on line/send it back again' I'm going to head to the Trafford Centre every other month, and shop properly (I live in a small town with a dire selection of shops, which is where the online habit came from). And I'm not putting ANYTHING on my credit card - if I can't afford an item from my current account money, then I won't be buying it.

Wish me luck ......

still not bought myself any new clothes/shoes/anything. Smug.

I am enjoying "shopping" from my wardrobe every day.

I too have read the Kondo threads, and have looked at her youtube videos (the woman is clearly a bit unhinged) but the principle of the thing works for me. Why keep something unless you absolutely love it.

I'm also going for the "why buy something unless you absolutely need it, or actually love it"

I was in town yesterday and found a nice skirt. it was just that. Nice. I had to give myself a talking too. It was in the sale, but wasn't cheap enough to buy it just because it was nice (£45 reduced from £60).

FrugalFashionista I deleted the picture, am over it now! If I really feel the need for something similar in the spring then I'll look for it then.

I spend too much a lot of time online and should really restrict my browsing. I still browse websites and blogs but most blogs are becoming further and further removed from what I would wear and offer very little temptation.

This year I have resolved to spend less on clothes and more on doing fun stuff. I love going to the theatre, so I am going to cut down on what I buy and spend more money on tickets! I know that it's hardly frugal, and some people would consider it a waste of money, but if it's the choice between a new top or a West End play and cocktails then I'm going to choose the play.

Anyway, last night I went to the theatre! As it was freezing in London I dressed for warmth and wore dark denim jeans, suede ankle boots with a low heel, a long, teal, fine knit jumper with a vest top under, and my navy pea coat. I blinged the jumper up with a sparkly necklace. Everything, except the coat, was bought within the last few months so, technically, still fairly new.

Ememem I dip in and out of the Kondo threads. I really like the principle of saying thank you and goodbye to stuff that has served it's purpose.

What is this Kondo thing? Will it help me not have a house full of random junk?

I'm doing reasonably well at continuing to flog stuff that I will realistically never wear/use again on Ebay (even while fighting off the "but maaaaaybe I will really miss it in two years' time, it is actually quite nice" etc. etc.), though I'm having to fight hard to resist the "THIS THING WILL FIT THIS GAP IN MY WARDROBE AND I WILL NEVER NEED TO BUY NEW CLOTHES AGAIN, I WILL BE COMPLETELY FASHIONABLE FOR SPRING AND I WILL MAKE ALL THESE PERFECT OUTFITS WITH THIS ONE TOP" feeling. Perhaps the state of my credit card after Christmas will put the frighteners on me.

Petal, Em, Peach well done resisting shopping temptations! Peach spending on theater tickets makes a lot of sense to me. I've been thinking about what my most memorable moments have been in the past few years and a couple of films seen at film festivals have been among the highlights - yet I missed the festival season last year. This year I will plan better! Going to a concert next week.

Leedy there are several Kondo threads in the Good Housekeeping section of MN. She's a Japanese expert and possibly nuts (in her book she explains that she spent her teens organizing her family home). Still, for a hoarder like me 'letting go of things with gratitude because they have already fulfilled their purpose in your life' is a new way of thinking. I keep lots of things for eventualities that never materialize, and given permission to let go of them is liberating.

I've been thinking a lot about my relationship with technology. In many ways it's great and I love my smartphone, but I clearly cannot handle infinity in my pocket Today I realized that for a long time I have been looking for distractions that distract me from other distractions. An alternative strategy would be building inner resources that resist distractions and make me calmer. The latter is intriguing and I was able to focus much better at work today when I decided to devote the full day to a specific task.

Have managed to stay offline after work. No shopping urges, no purchases. Good luck everyone!

Hello everyone. It sounds like a lot of people are doing well.
I am pleased that I have spent the total of £5 on a top that I will wear with a leather skirt to a party. Otherwise nada since xmas day.

I'm feeling good and in control. I'm fulfilled at work at the moment and I think that is helping me feel on an even and non-spendy keel.

Hi can I join in please? I can definitely relate to a lot of the points raised here - particularly those relating to shopping habits and not knowing / being able to stop!
I'm going to make an effort this year to stop buying (unless it's absolutely essential) and make use of what I already have. That also applies to my spring/summer wardrobe as I really do have enough from previous years. The thing I'm struggling with most of all is being able to part with things that are still in good enough condition to wear in order to gain more space. I mean some things have hardly been worn so I feel it would be a waste to sell or donate them and it makes me feel sick thinking how much money I will have wasted if I do that! So, I am actually going to work my way through my existing stuff until I feel I've had enough wear out of it all - is 10 times per item acceptable for tops, cardigans etc?! X

I'm heading off to either H&M/Next/Dorothy Perkins at lunch time - I want a top to wear on Saturday night. I've got cash in my purse, I only want to buy one item, and I'm feeling quite controlled about it.

Update - I spent £24 on a top in Next. But it's really nice, hopefully it will fit (otherwise it's going back) but I enjoyed feeling in control, only buying one item, and spending cash rather than credit card.

Over-shopping never felt good.

Well done Petal and welcome Myttribe! FrugalMc it sounds that you are doing great!

Very briefly reporting that I'm doing really well. No shopping in the past three weeks and only very minor urges that have not been hard to resist. Have started a creative project at work that seems very fulfilling. Rethinking many office routines, restricting time spent on e-mail to prioritize more important things. And going out for a brief walk after work during the risky low mood-low energy time. Really liking Headspace too.

Welcome MyTribe
Well done Frugalfashionista _ I think having a creative project will be helping. I've no doubt that feeling fulfilled and inspired in other areas of life makes shopping (and what I wear) less important.

Petal I expect that one controlled purchase will give you a lot more pleasure than those guilt ridden frenzied ones!

Conversely I have noticed that when I have a tough day, wearing something nice has helped cheer me.

Well done everyone. Let's keep going together. I'm feeling good about this.