One-Dollar Wonders

ETA Passive/Active SYC Epiphany - Approaching End of May Madness

May 23, 2012

May is winding down, and while this week *should* have me ready to burst fromt he starting gates and ready to burn a hole in my bank account, I'm instead left waxing philosophical. I'd intended to stop shopping during May - and instead, I ordered floral booties, a white jacket/blazer, and a silk blouse, and a bag for a DIY project -- three of which I'm 100% sure I'll keep. I also have my eye on a jacket auction, depending on how high the bidding goes, and I still have white skinnies on my hit list.

The good? I am loving my closet right now and really excited to get dressed every. single. day. I have more outfit ideas than I can keep up with. The bad? Well, I have now spent enough that I should really, truly SYC for budjet reasons rather than my previous self-discipline reasons.

I want to spend less in June, but I don't want to make the same SYC mistakes as before, so I'm tossing around a few different ideas, which could be used individually OR together:

- Pre-plan at least 30 different outfits that I can select from throughout the month. Reasoning is to stay excited about what's in my closet and keep everything at the front of my mind.

- Pre-select 30 differnt inspiration outfits. Reasoning is to provide a challenge to replace the thrill of the hunt and shift focus from aquisition to creation.

- Choose a set of DIY goals to achieve by month's end. Reasoning is to keep me busy and off the online shops while I'm at home while still providing the thrill of the new -- and hopefully resulting in some things I can boast about. ;)

- Tracking on a calendar how many days I go *without* purchasing wardrobe items. Reasoning is to remove the sense of restriction and also create a visual representaton of my spending habits (which will hopefully freak me out enough to cool the jets).

What do you think? Are any of these positive behaviors likely to replace the other behavior? Do you have an opinion on which is best/worst? Any suggestions?

******
ETA:

Harmonica just posted a comment that lit up the lightbulb over my head. She mentioned how fun it can be to keep a lookbook for inspiration - and everything clicked.

Fun? Not shopping is no fun. Sitting on my hands and waiting is no fun. I need to Get Things Done - fill those holes, fix those problems. Limbo drives me bananas! I am an ACTIVE personality, and "not shopping" is a PASSIVE exercise. I will never be able to "not shop" until that becomes a byproduct and not the goal.

Posted in the Shopping category
This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

16 Comments

  • modgrl replied 11 years ago

    I feel like the more I tell myself that I'm not shopping or looking for anything, the more I want to shop. It is a vicious cycle.

  • Mo replied 11 years ago

    I think, for me, being less rigid about it leaves me less temped to rebel. If I sort of just shift my focus, that seems to work best. If I'm all concerned about remixing and whatnot, I start to see holes where 'x' would be handy and so on. It gets me more in the frame of what I 'need' and what I'm missing, you know? But we are all different and maybe a closet challenge is perfect for you to keep busy for the month!

  • Transcona Shannon replied 11 years ago

    Oh yes...the May Madness experiment....

    Personally, I feel like I've succeeded in that I cut down my purchasing, really identified my wardrobe holes (blouses), and thought about how to work my wardrobe. Yes, I purchased two silk blouses but that was in response to the hole I discovered. I had some "near misses" with temptations, but thanks to YLF intervention, didn't bite.

    I'm going to join Kirti in her June SYC with the exception that I will be purchasing another summer dress to add to my closet (if I can find the right one). I truly do not need anything else and might want to pick something up at NAS.

    As for your ideas, I think two of them combined could really work for you: pre-planning 30 outfits and DIY goals. These two things combined will go a long way to keeping your wardrobe exciting for you. I think it's fantastic that you're loving your wardrobe right now!

  • Isabel replied 11 years ago

    I was just trying to get through it ! I feel like modgirl.

    It did make me rethink a pair of shoes that I donated and wanted to replace...but the waiting made me realize that I really don't need them. I do, however, need a bathing suit.

  • cheryl replied 11 years ago

    Rae, those are some great ideas to resist temptation. I think you should do a combo. 15 preplanned outfits, 15 inspiration outfits, a DIY or two and give yourself a star for every non shopping/buying day. :) Can you tell I hate making decisions so I say go for a bit of everything, lol.

  • rae replied 11 years ago

    Rita, I never considered myself much of a rebel, but now I see it is true. I definitely felt a strong urge to shop on SYC.

    Mo, I have this problem FOR SURE. I am hoping that pre-planning would prevent wardrobe holes from cropping up unexpectedly (as they *totally* did in May). If I plan with items I have, then I can't reach for something I don't have... hopefully.

    Shannon, I am staying positive and I think we all succeeded. Our purchases were thoughtful and successful - no orphans in the making.

    Cheryl, I don't like to make decisions, either! I also tend to replace one vice with another - so maybe a big mix of options is just the ticket.

  • christieanne replied 11 years ago

    I think flexibility is key for you (and not self punishing or feeling guilty if something comes up - like Isabel needing a bathing suit, you can't substitute something else for that).
    Seems practical and fun to try some various outfits planned in advance.

    I agree that everyone seems to be doing well in being more thoughtful and careful in their shopping and breaking the closet orphan habit.

  • harmonica replied 11 years ago

    I think this will work out very well for you! Have you considered making a lookbook for inspiration, fun and efficiency (the days you don't have energy to be creative, you just pick an outfit from the lookbook and are ready to go) :-)

    I'll be SYC in June too. I already started some weeks ago, though.

  • rae replied 11 years ago

    Harmonica, I do keep a lookbook of my own looks for repeating, but I think I will take your advice and beef up my file of inspiration outfits as well.

    I zeroed in on the word FUN in your comment, too. Not Shopping is No Fun, so it is key to find other fun things to do!

  • replied 11 years ago

    I think you have some good ideas Rae. I like all of them and I'd like add another. I actually think it would be a mistake to stop shopping. I think you *need* to shop. It's the thrill of the hunt. I suggest that you replace all online shopping with swap meet shopping for the next month. Since the name of your website is One Dollar Wonders, give yourself a directive to go hunt each week and buy a $1 item to wear (if perfect) or transform into something that's *you* the following week. Dye or supplies shouldn't be too costly but I'd try to keep them under $10. Then every week you can work the new item into a WIW and blog about your experience/DIY. Bargain huntresses unite!

    Of course if you are so busy with DIY's that are already waiting in the wings that you don't feel the urge to shop, that's okay too, but I think it's good to have a low-cost alternative for when the mood strikes!

  • rae replied 11 years ago

    Great idea, Claire! I do have some $1 items waiting to debut as well as DIYs lined up, actually.

    I think I should point out that this time around, I am making NO shopping limits for myself. I can shop as much as I please (see, Lizard Brain Rae, no need to rebel)! But I'm hoping the other goals will keep my attention instead of the online shopping scavenger hunts I sometimes create to keep me occupied.

  • replied 11 years ago

    Oh, I see, I see! Reverse psychology, works every time. :) Just saying "no shopping" just makes me get the shakes.

  • catgirl replied 11 years ago

    The only things that keep me from buying (though I'm nuch better about spontaneous purchases now) are when I'm super-busy with work or other activities (which has been the case recently) or when I'm away from a computer - like camping trips or traveling.

    I'm finding thrifting to be a little crutch, and also therapeutic in two ways. I can enjoy the hunting/gathering aspect without going broke, and I've recently been working on self-discipline by going to the thrift stores and ONLY picking up items I'm 100% sure I'll use and that are on a list I've created on my i-phone. So when I look around, I look SPECIFICALLY for anything "orange, cropped, military" or whatever my current "needs" are. It has actually helped.

  • kellygirl replied 11 years ago

    Great epiphany, Rae! I'm in a similar boat. SYC makes me want to shop more so I'm just trying to be picky, picky, picky. I've also challenged myself to wearing "no repeats" which is basically trying to wear something different everyday. Any piece can be repeated but only if re-mixed. I'm a serial repeater and I think that's why I get so bored with my wardrobe (and style) and am always on the hunt for something "new" to make it seem fresh.

  • mrseccentric replied 11 years ago

    Hi rae! "Not Shopping is No Fun, so it is key to find other fun things to do! " really, i've found this concept to be very useful in many areas of life.

    Frankly, i hate to shop. I'm not even that keen on shoe or fabric shopping. But i have a humongous sweet tooth, if i gave in i'd gain 40 pounds and have no teeth left!! : 0

    You have to psych yourself out. For me, i loooove to procrastinate. On the whole i don;t do it much anymore, partly because i've learned to use it to my advantage. When i want some big cruller or piece of pie, i tell myself, "i can have that, just not now. I'll have it *later*." i don't get the immediate gratification of the pie - but i get the longer-term satisfaction of putting something off!

    Of course it is nowhere near rational, yet it works out for me. Your realization that you need to be Doing Things, and that putting something totally off limits just makes it more attractive, i think give you the keys you need to unlock a plan for getting your shopping to where you want it. Because shopping is much more fun when you're not blowing thru cash you don't have, feeling obsessed and guilty, or whatever other icky consequences can happen.

    Best of luck! steph

  • MsMary replied 11 years ago

    I've done pretty well at SYC, although I did bend the rules to get TCPITW (The Cutest Purse in the World) after returning a purse I'd purchased in April but returned, and I just plain broke the rules when a Nanette Lepore jacket I'd been coveting at Nordstrom was marked down 60%.

    Going forward I am definitely committed to (a) shopping my budget, and (b) not buying or keeping anything that isn't a 10.

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I'm just your average working stiff who loves nice things and hates to pay for them. This blog outlines my efforts to navigate that treacherous shopping/saving divide through swappin', thriftin', and even a little resellin'. Many of the pieces in my wardrobe cost me just $1! We've heard a lot about people "living above their means" in recent years; I'm championing the concept of living large *below* your means - whatever that means for you. :)