18 Dec A year without new clothes?
A decade ago I heard about a woman from California who had gone for a year without buying any new clothing for herself. (Perhaps the fact that this made the news says something about how rare this is?) As a competitive person, I decided to challenge myself to do the same, even though not spending money on clothes was very much against my nature! So, in May of that year, I purchased what I planned to be my last item of clothing for the next 12 months: a warm LL Bean sweatshirt to wear to all the spring baseball games my oldest child was playing. Once it arrived in the mail, the challenge began.
The first couple of months were not easy. It was nearly summertime, and I always bought a new bathing suit for the summer, but I found I could make do just fine with last year’s suit. Fall is my favorite season and I love sweaters and other fall clothes. When fall clothing came out around the Fourth of July, I found it easiest to just stay away from the women’s clothing section of stores.
As the months went by, the challenge became easier and I was able to buy new clothing for my three children without any desire to purchase for myself.
Finally, the big day came. I had gone a full year without purchasing any clothing for myself. When the challenge began, I envisioned running out on day 366 and spending like crazy, but once that day came, I had no desire. When I finally did venture back out for clothing a couple of months later, I started shopping at thrift stores, something I continue today.
What did I learn from my year-long experiment that you also may learn from?
- I didn’t “need” new clothes all the time. I had a lot of clothes in my closet already, and they were just fine.
- I didn’t need new clothes. I have been thrifting with my kids for a number of years now, and I can walk out of a thrift store with a bag of brand-name clothes for the same amount of money I might spend to get one or two new items.
- Clearance racks are my first stop. Whenever I shop in a regular store, I go right to the clearance rack, where the savings can be tremendous.
- Although I did not use a budget at the time, I found that money really freed up once I stopped spending so much on clothes.
- Finally, one (wo)man’s trash truly is another (wo)man’s treasure – you can find a lot of good finds in thrift stores. And conversely, you can make someone’s day by donating (or selling) your old clothing to thrift stores.
If you are up for it, take the year-long spending challenge (on clothing, or any other category you’d like) and see how you do! The New Year is a perfect time to begin!