Having ditched “no spending”, I am doing “consider” spending...

[Notcontent]

I really wanted to do a “no spending on clothes” 2019 as I don’t really need anything and I would be good to save more money. But I realised I don’t think I can (well, I would if I had to) as buying the occasional thing brings me pleasure and I feel like I really need that at the moment.

But I think I am doing well with “considered” spending - I.e. buying less and things that I will actually wear! So today I bought some plain black high waisted jeans - a very boring purchase, but I wanted some “smart” jeans as all my others are very casual. I was tempted by various pretty things but resisted and didn’t make the mistake of buying stuff that is lovely but I will never wear...

Anyone else?

Argh, that heading was meant to say “considered”....

Yup, me!

Have spent waaay too much on very un-considered spending over the past three years or so, so this year I am buying what I need as I need it (so NOT in advance because I like it and I can maybe wear it someday to the kind of event I never actually go to, and NOT because it’s ‘such a bargain’ when actually I have something similar already, and NOT because it’s just something I want!), and buying within a very thought out plan of what my lifestyle is going to be like over the next couple of years, what my wardrobe looks like now, and actual identified holes in it.

It’s working well so far, and I am learning to be rational about my spending and not too emotional.

I used to do the same! Lots of buying things because they were a “bargain” and also buying things without any idea of when and where I would wear them!

I've toned down my spending on clothes a lot over the last couple of years. I think I've got to an age it doesn't interest me like it did in my early 20s and I wanted lots of nice party dresses. Now it's "need" rather than "want." Eg I will buy a few new underwear items as mine are very worn. Some plain black jumpers would be very useful too. I now prefer to buy few nice quality things like one nice bag or a proper jewellery item once a year instead of lots of dresses, tops etc that get forgotten quickly, then look very dated. I still can't figure out summer wardrobes though. I've never got my head around that subject because of the uk weather!

Frustrated - summer in the U.K. is easy - you just wear the same clothes but without a coat!! 😂 unless it’s hot last last summer, in which case you put on a flowing dress with large sunglasses and you’re good to go... I am much better at hot summer dressing, maybe because I grew up in a hot country.

I do this.

It started out of necessity in that I could only afford to give myself a small amount treat money, so I had to spend it wisely. I really hated buying stuff that ended up not being suitable as I felt like I had wasted my money.

Now, I am more planned in my purchases. I take my time, do my research and enjoy my products.

I’ve been trying to buy fewer, better things - so one pair of perfect trousers from Cos rather than three pairs of okay trousers from Topshop. My spending hasn’t reduced though, which I need to work on because I have recently cut my hours down at work. I tend to be worse at buying cheap stuff in summer because I resent spending a lot on things I might not be able to wear.

I went through a phase in my late teens early 20s buying lots of clothes, jewellery, bags (funnily enough never shoes) the majority of items never worn more than once if at all.

After realising I was one of the masses who wears 20% of my clothes 80% of the time, I set about making drastic changes to my wardrobe. I culled all but a handful of favourites and have kept to this formula ever since.

I have a wardrobe inventory and plan all my purchases. Everything I buy is subject to a strict criteria ie is it my cut, colour,soft, comfy, versatile. Do I look good and feel confident wearing it.

Last year I bought a pair of sandals and a lightweight jacket. This year I am on the lookout to replace a couple of skirts and tops for the summer.

I’m in! I’ve really adapted the way I buy things over the last 18 months. I buy vastly fewer, but higher quality items. And I find new ways to ‘shop my wardrobe’ - a closet inventory app called Stylebook has really helped me get a better understanding of ‘cost per wear’, as well as the colours, trends and combinations that I wear regularly. That’s helped me refine my colour palette down which is a revelation as everything goes together!
As well as comfort, quality etc my criteria are: ‘do I need it?’ ‘Will I wear it for years?’ ‘Can I style at least 5 outfits with it’ and ‘does it fit with my existing colour palette?’

Pinterest is good for this too, I have a ‘considering’ board for the current season which I regularly mull over. It helps me ensure I buy things which go together.

I have adopted broadly the same approach this past six months or so - I have a fairly controlled capsule wardrobe now for day-to-day use, and I have thought that through very carefully, paying attention to what suits me and my lifestyle and what I actually enjoy wearing. It is better quality so it will last longer. Everything works together in terms of style and in colourways, which means I always look put together. It also means I can very easily identify holes in my wardrobe. Anything I actually really want or need goes onto my approved purchases list - then if I see that item on sale or for a very good price throughout the year I will allow myself to buy it.

I did almost all my buying for summer for this and the next few years in the January sales, again thinking carefully about what I needed, what I will actually wear, what colour scheme I wanted to stick to, and what I already have.

I know I will need a pair of low to mid height tan sandals for summer. I also know I would like a black jumpsuit and a pair of fit flops in a light colour. So they’re on the list to look out for during sales or discounts.

I know I don’t need any more make up. As a rule I’m not going to buy any at all. No impulse purchases, no getting sucked into the lure of yet another eyeshadow pallette. But I would like a peachy blusher and a golden blusher for summer. I would also like a coral red lipstick and a peachy lipstick. So they’re on my list. If I see them at a good price I will allow myself a purchase, and once I have one type of item, I won’t allow myself to buy five more that are almost exactly the same.

I have plenty of bags and plenty of pairs of shoes. I would like one pair of flat boots for our walks. Luckily there is a Timberland outlet near to us so I will wait until I see the right thing and then buy it for a good price.

I have lots of scarves and hats and coats. Nothing needed.

I have a few silk scarves. I would like a few more for summer, and also I would like some skinny scarves for going out, so I will be checking eBay for those.

I’ve got what I need for jewellery, so I will only be picking up a few pairs of costume earrings to match my summer outfits.

I screenshot things from the clothes sites I think I want.
I keep them in my favorites.
I scroll through every few days to have a look and fawn over them.
Then a few weeks or months go by and the season then changes.
And by that time in fed up of looking at the same knitted jumper in ten colors that I thought I needed.
I delete those and I’m so happy with myself that I haven’t bought them.
I have right now in it bikinis work tops etc.
But I really only need 2 bikinis.
Well one because I bought a lovely black bikini top in primark last week so that will be worn to death.
I have a black pair of lipsy bikini bottoms I have years so that’s one sorted.
I only have one pair of work bottoms that I wear all wear. I wear normal clothes to work.
I get the wear and moneys worth out of them and also it’s less washing and less in the wardrobe.
I have one handbag.
I buy really good quality shoes that don’t really go out of fashion
Doc timberlands etc
I probably don’t wear them enough.
I buy my work tops in stages.
5 at a time per season.
They get well worn for that price I paid ( I try to buy primark as much as I possibly can )
Then by the time the season changes I can get excited about getting some new things while being glad I got good wear out of the stuff I bought.
I buy good quality coats that last years.
Now I have a lot of going out outfits that don’t get worn because I don’t go out enough
In saying all this I feel like I am forever buying stuff with I can figure out
I am also a firm believer in that you can never own too many black shoes.
I am trying to save money so primark was usually the last place I’d go to shop but I’m saying goodbye to toshop for a year.
Iv recently gotten a bit more into makeup something I hated parting with my money with before.
I second Pinterest for giving ideas on things that you can put together that I would never have thought of.

Bubba I love that smug feeling that comes with realising the item you have been after for ages would have been a waste of money!

I find I’m more likely to buy things that go properly together if I do fewer spending trips and buy things in one go. When I’ve bought a single item, even if I’ve ‘considered’ it for a long time, it seems like it gets less wear because it’s not necessarily coordinated with other things in my wardrobe in the same way.
The issue with that method is you can end up looking like a walking advert for one shop looking at you Reiss

At the moment I am resisting buying a dress for a wedding I might go to in the summer - I don’t actually know if I will be able to make it so I just cannot allow myself to get all excited and shop for it in advance. But I’ve wishlisted loads of suitable options, so that once I know for sure that I can go I’ll be able to find something fairly easily.

Normally I would have already bought dress, shoes and bag for it!

Wombat totally it’s like bubba 1 consumerism 0
But I find I get so much guilt with everything I buy even if it is things I need.
I was in primark to grab socks and a camel lightweight trench was eyeing me the last few times I was in and it was only 30 Euro. I tried it on and bought it but I feel guilty.
Even though I am still wearing my winter coat which is too Christmas looking now but I was like no I’m not buying a second coat. My winter coat is getting put away until next year it’s a classic trench it was only new look but at 45 Euro I will be determined next year to just rewear it all next winter and not buy another one. It’s just you just get sick of looking at your clothes sometimes don’t we?
At the moment my colour palette is creams blacks and beige and lepord.

I don’t believe in guilt when it comes to spending, or clothing, or anything that makes me happy. I’m doing this because I’d like to be a bit more circumspect with my finances, not because I think there’s anything wrong with having more than one coat.

My wardrobe for A/W is predominantly khaki, burgundy, camel and navy. Leopard print for accents.

Wardrobe for S/S is khaki, denim, white, and coral/coral red. Black or coral for dressing up for evenings.

It really helps to stick to a fairly strict colour combination. Just make sure it suits your skin tone before you go buying lots of stuff!

I agree with you, Ninkaninus about the guilt. (I also have a wedding coming up and I'm trying to resist buying something new!).

For the most part I do try and buy thoughtfully but some of my most inspired buys have been random, inconsidered purchases that turned out to be just what my wardrobe needed. Equally some were bits of tat that unravelled after one wash. And I've also made some expensive mistakes in the name of buying better quality. I don't think this is an exact science.

I think we sometimes beat ourselves up far too much. Aside from shoes and underwear, I will happily admit to having enough clothes to last the rest of my life. I've also got enough books to last the rest of my life but no-one ever wags a finger when I buy more.

I agree Flo. There’s something a bit misogynistic about the way an interest in clothes/fashion is seen as more superficial than an interest in tech / rugby etc. Clothes are a hobby for me, and making considered purchases is part of that. It’s more wanting to avoid unwise purchases of things I’ll wear once, rather than guilt because I could have spent it on something more ‘worthy’.

I am horrified looking back at my 20s and the amount of money I wasted on clothes that got barely worn, make up that didn’t suit, fancy handbags I didn’t need etc etc.
I wish so much that I knew then what I know now and had saved more.
Anyway, we live and learn! So much happier now with a “considered” approach, and I make a lot of my own clothes now too.

I agree wombat that’s how I try to look at it as well it’s my hobby and my other hobbies are free ( reading and running) I know the gym you have to pay but to me it’s just built in as a yearly bill.
It is seen as superficial alright.

Yes it's written off as superficial because it's seen as a women's interest. My husband spends as much on gadgets as I do on clothes and yet no-one ever says to him, 'Another new phone Mr Flo?'

Thanks for contributing to this discussion!

I personally can’t believe it took me two decades to work out that I shouldn’t buy something unless I immediately think it fits well/looks good and I can see myself wearing it lots.

There are all kinds of things that play into a need to shop and a tendency to overspend or buy the wrong things - for me it’s about things like this: who am I vs. who do I want to be, how do I feel vs. what do I want the world to see, what life do I lead vs. the life I thought I would have/wish I could have had, along with a very tumultuous emotional inner narrative and a tendency to feel overwhelmed, plus quite an obsessive character (so I fixate on things and they become a ‘holy grail’ item, until you actually have them and then you realise they’re lovely but they’re not the magic item you thought was going to fix everything forever). Shopping makes me feel better, much the same as eating something nice calms me down if I am feeling anxious/sad/angry/frustrated. I’m trying hard to stay out of that inevitable vicious cycle.

I want to shop for things I love because looking put together is part of who I am, and a beautiful new thing gives me a lot of genuine pleasure. But I don’t want to do it mindlessly or in a wasteful way.

I love clothes too but try to be more informed about my choices.

Trouble is you buy new trousers then your top in right colour from last year is too long.

My tops get more worn out than bottoms etc

But but... whenever I try on something that's out of my comfort zone it always looks terrible at first! And it never goes with anything else in my wardrobe.

I think 'considered buying' is perhaps easier when you have a defined, signature style. But I don't. I like to change my style every so often and I've never found a way of doing it without experimenting and making mistakes. So I make them. And during one of these phases I buy mostly cheap and disposable until I'm confident I know what I'm doing. I don't think that's mindless, any more than buying a book that turns out to be crap is mindless.