No buy or low buy 2023

[TheOGCCL]

Starting a new thread for the new year. I really must do better. Pretty sure I am in need of nothing after my 2022 spending spree.

Ironically I think this board sets me off a bit.

I’m better with a blanket no spend but how dull. Still thinking about my ‘rules’, eg set a budget or an item limit.

I need to avoid the sales as many mistakes happen there.

All welcome who want to cut down for environmental or ethical or financial reasons, or simply the satisfaction of buying second hand, or the ease of getting dressed when you have less stuff.

I can recommend Lauren Bravo’s book How To Break Up With Fast Fashion.

Its a bit like eating meat, if we all collectively did it a bit less, the world would be a better place.

I've bought a few things to go with a jacket I bought earlier in the year then realised I had nothing that worked with it. It was a jumper, 2 dresses, 3 long sleeve tees and leggings to go under the dresses for autumn

I've spent loads this month but it's all been quality and carefully considered so I don't mind. More expensive items means I've brought less in and I've decluttered loads of things from the house so overall I'm winning with taming the chaos

I got a belt to go with a specific dress that was tricky colour to match

A cozy ribbed skirt in the Everlane sale. I already had tops that will match with it

The second half of August has been more expensive than most months with back to school purchases such as few school tops, few regular tops, trainers, wellies, water bottle and backpack for DC.these were all v necessary though, DC is growing like a weed and the backpack was ripped and water bottle gross. I also got some activity books, regular books and an educational toy.

For myself, I bought a t-shirt and a winter wool coat from a charity shop for £13. I also caved in and bought a top and a robe from the one hundred stars sale which I do regret. A lesson for me to stick to my wish list! I also bought a very lightweight cotton blouse from TK Maxx which was on my wishlist. I've been looking for a thin cotton blouse all summer and was happy to find one.

Oh! And I nearly forgot. I also got the infamous Uniqlo bag in orange corduroy when it came out last week. I've already used it at least every second day - for a coastal walking trip, for a gig, for a playground trip. It's fab at £14.90

Do you have one going to uni soon too? Your dinner sounds amazing.

Still no clothing purchases for me since 24th March other than my recent 4 pairs of socks.

In bed with Covid at the moment living in PJs and have been feeling terrible. DS1 and DH have just had it too, but they're mostly better now. I feel a little better today, might actually put some proper clothes on and try a short walk.

Still been using the Whering App and dutifully putting on everything I wear daily, which helps me not spend! Stuck to it since 1st Jan this year.

Now I have a dilemma, I didn't put PJs on the Whering App, only record clothes I wear in the day. So I now have gaps since the weekend as I've only worn PJs. The gaps bother me!

Yes I do Netcam. Dd2 is heading off to UCL shortly. Sorry you've all had Covid again. I haven't bought anything further this month since the Mascara. I think it's the first year I haven't bought anything in the Sales. Actually scotch that, I did buy one thing, but then returned it.
The Whering App is still keeping me on the straight & narrow. When I'm tempted to buy another shirt, I remind myself I've already got 15 of the things 🙄 I've just archived my very Summery dresses, but have left a couple of shirt dresses out, in the hope we might have some sunny days left. But it's not looking too hopeful in this gloom.

How is everyone doing with this?

I heard today how we should only buy five new items a year if we want to not be harmful to the environment. Realised I've been buying too much.

So...I know I'm 9 months late, but I'm going to join in the no buy 23 and carry on in 24.

Caveats are if something complete breaks and also bras, pants, socks, tights and leggings.

Failed..

On the plus side I am on course to spend approximately 50% of what I spent in 2022. I’ve got second hand things on Vinted and eBay for a few one off occasions. I think I’m getting better at picking things that I will wear and wear. I generally feel well put together, and have lots of options. There’s less in the charity shop bag. I go back and mark items that were mistakes and work out the percentage, that’s gone down.

On the downside, I just don’t seem to be able to stop acquiring new clothes, mainly at the change of seasons. And I send a lot back.

Five items, wow. Maybe that is my rule for 2024. I bet I’d still be on an order and return cycle.

I didn't buy anything for what felt like ages but was actually only 2 weeks ago 🧐. Then I got some of the new season autumn stuff from my favourite place. A dress, a skirt, 4 trousers, 5 tops and a jacket. The jacket was to replace a favourite one that's too small now.

I shop too much, I spend too much, but it's getting better. I used to buy everything I wanted, now I see things and don't buy them at least 50% of the time. I'm going to try to buy only the odd thing now through autumn, if that.

Winter will be my real test. I have enough winter clothes and am aiming for 3 months of no-buy. Don't know if I'll manage it but I'm going to try.

Next year I'm going to try one-in-one-out because I think that'll limit me further since I don't want to get rid of what I have unless it doesn't fit me or is worn out and tatty.

If that's successful the following year I'll try doing one-in-two-out to reduce how much I own because the wardrobe is a bit cramped.

And both years I'll stick with the 3 months no-buy for winter. I bought new clothes end of last winter so I fully expect them to last 3 years of 3 months wear each time.

This probably seems excessive to some, but I'm a total shopaholic looking to make small sustainable changes to my life. I don't see the point of doing a total no-spend year then blowing a fortune on things I don't need or possibly really even like much, in pent up frustration at not having been shopping for so long. Don't think that would be helpful or healthy. My long term aim is to own a manageable amount of stuff, all of which I totally love and fits well, then do one-in-one-out as and when things wear out and need replacing. I'm going to tie it in with developing another hobby (to replace shopping as a hobby). My life changed drastically during the pandemic so I'm still recovering from that and trying to find my feet, it's not been easy.

I take it you're new to the minimalism journey @Miniminiminimalist ? Are you aiming to do it with your whole life or just clothes?

I'm a lapsed minimalist @IndianSummer78! I wouldn't want to go back down the road of competetive minimalism again tbh as it was honestly quite boring, but I do want to stop buying stuff as I've swung too far the other way.

I really like clothes is the problem!

This year hasn't been bad... lots of my stuff is knackering though so I'll be spending a bit soon :-(

I've... not done well. £865 this year and my general average spend is about £1k a year. That said a lot is new with tags from Vinted and I've made some really good money selling (including £100 for an AllSaints jacket).

My main issue is that DS has started school and my lifestyle has changed. I'm now in the office 4 days a week and I have a 45-minute-round-trip school run on foot, as well as an hour every Sunday as a rugby mum. I need a better, longer coat and some snow boots as I have no warm, waterproof footwear.

5 items a year, I sometimes do that in one month, I am trying to buy less but better, this i been buying more better quality in the sales, mint velvet, hush, rather then newlook h &m, I do still buy the odd item in h&m but I know when I wash them specially tops they don't last as long,

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this. I'm definitely on track for spending less than in 2022. I bought almost nothing in July, then a little bit in August (tbf mainly school stuff for DC, but a few things for me). Like the OP, I feel like I'm making far less mistakes with my purchases. This month, I bought a pair of cords for the autumn (from the shops) and a cotton jumper and an ecru vest (but new but from Vinted). As soon as the weather turned on Sunday, I was in those cords.

I've done a bit of a wardrobe overhaul this year. I've noticed that I really don't wear any of my man-made fibre items so I've sold almost all of them. I've made a decent chunk on Vinted, and I've actually made more than spent - plus my wardrobe feels quite airy. At the end of the summer I was left with just 4 dresses, but at least they were all nice and lovely. I now need to do the same with jumpers, and it might mean that I funnel my income from sales back into buying one or two nice cotton/wool jumpers. Autumn clothes are my favourite so it's hard to resist getting something new in, but I figure as long as I spend only on what I've made in sales it's ok. Plus my wardrobe feels a bit more luxurious.

A big fat fail here this month.
I've discovered a lovely Cashmere brand on Tk Maxx that's a fraction of it's original price & I've bought several pieces. So I've spent about £570 this month (after an abstemious month in August) including two pairs of wide legged cords at M&S & some Vionic sheepskin boots at Tk's too. I'm a Cashmere obsessive & I wear it all the time, as I'm allergic to wool. So I'm listing all my things to sell & I've made £120 so far 😂 I don't regret buying it but it's just obviously well over the £40 a month I've set myself. Time for a no spend until Xmas now, apart from the heeled tasselled M&S loafers in chestnut that are calling me...

Since 24th March still only bought 4 pairs Icebreaker merino socks half price in the sale. Feel confident I won't buy anything else in 2023. I bought wool jumpers, coats, coatigans and merino thermals (excessive spend before 24th March) last winter. So I'll be getting those out when the weather gets cold.

Same @lindyloo57. I set myself a goal of one item a month and couldn't do it. I'm shocked that even that is more than twice as many things I should be buying!

I am half thinking that a full no buy might be better than low buy for me. Once I start looking I see too many things I want!

I draw the line at underwear though. If I need it I need it

This month so far only brought one item, a pair of animal print leather slingbacks, from clarks sale, bargin £70 down to £19.50, I have a leather skirt on order from m &s,
So if it fit, its only 2 items this month.

Just a mascara this month.

I have bought 26 items so far this year of which eight items were charity shop buys. This feels like very low buy to me but is still far more than five items a year.

I’m going to try and limit purchases to one (new) item a month for the rest of the year and going forward into next year. The only exception is if I actually lose the 21lbs I want to.

I'm not doing too badly. So far most of the items I've bought this year have been to replace old ones - new hoodie, new sandals, new leggings and new underwear. The only exceptions are new thermal tops, but I'm treating them as an overall cost saving measure because I shouldn't need to put the heating on quite so much and a couple of summer dresses.

Just checking in...

I'm still not buying clothes, but this weekend amid all the Russell Brand hoohah, and a couple of my friends being upset because some of the comments brought back their own rape trauma, I had a skincare spurge that was a bit like a drink or drugs bender. I just couldn't stop.

I didn't buy anything outrageous. It's all stuff I use, and I even need some of it, but I was out of control and spending to try and get relief from the stress I think.

So that was interesting.

I also ate loads more than usual over the weekend, it was as if I couldn't get full.
(Although that may be covid appetite loss coming back with a bang. I lost a stone through just being too tired to eat.)

Ah, a small fail which is actually not a fail really.

Arket sale is on and I ordered the hopsack wool blazer, plus some wool trousers. Those have been on my wishlist for longer than I can remember. I tried the blazer on last winter in another colour and loved it. I'm hoping the trousers are well-cut for my body shape.

If these fit, then the last thing on my wish list this autumn is some flat boots, plus a bikini for a winter holiday (it's probably totally the wrong season for buying one)

I succommed to the sale catalogue. One skirt, one yoga outfit, one pair of jeans, two dresses and one pair of gloves. That's very restrained for me. I reluctantly deleted the coat because I have too many already, although that decision may not last if the price goes any lower

@verdantverdure not at all the thread and I don't want to redrail it but I wanted to say I feel you, I struggled so much watching it and afterwards.