A year without shopping? (faut le faire!)
In my ultimate quest for passing the time (now that Hulu is making us pay to watch shows), I like to browse for fashion blogs. I already have my favorite such as Godsfavoriteshoes.blogspot.com (Hello Reiko!) but I am always looking for more because I have too much time on my hands. Recently, I discovered this interesting blog called 365fashionrehab.blogspot.com. It was two lady friends who decided not to shop for 365 days, an entire year. And their blog was dedicated to their journey. I read some postings and got literally blown away. And it inspired me to enter their challenge: stay an entire year without buying a single thing.
But let me explain to you why I want to do such a crazy thing.
- I am a shopaholic. I buy things that I do not necessarily need or wear just because I can buy it or it is trendy or on sale. I shop as an outlet, a way to relieve stress. Back in college, I would shop with my best friend after we finished exams as a way to relax. Some people would watch a movie, take an R&R, but she and I would shop until we drop (literally). Since then, it became a habit. Whenever I am stressed, at home or at work, I would shop.
- Due to my excessive shopping, I have no money and I am in debt. All the money I earned while working for a short period of time before giving birth was spent on clothes, shoes and bags. (but also on my son's tuition...). As a result, I have a closet full of clothes that I never wear -because most of those clothes are not suitable to my lifestyle of a stay at home mother- and a bank account in the red.
- I want to take this time off from shopping to learn a few things about myself, and about what is important for me. I want to learn about what I like, dislike, what I can wear and cannot. I would also want to learn to invest in finer things instead of cheap things. Let us face it, it is not in my plan to be a stay at home mother forever therefore I need more than jeans and tees and flats. Someday hopefully, I will be a career woman and I will need to look the part. But more than that, I am not 20 anymore therefore it is about time that I stop shopping at the Juniors department. I am not sure I can rival Rene Russo in the Thomas Crown Affair but she is my goal (her and Mrs Obama) as to what a stylish and elegant lady is.
- I also hope that by stopping shopping, I would get creative with the clothes I already own and take a better care of them. I am so messy with my clothes that it is hard for me to find them when I need them. And since I cannot find them in the mess that is my closet, I always end up buying something new, thinking that I do not own it. For example, I wanted to buy a light cardigan to cover my shoulders for when I wear my tube maxi dresses. I was about to buy a brand new one when I discovered (while cleaning up my closet) that I owned several already. This habit of mine costs me a lot of money already. And I am not about to repeat the same mistake.
Now, to stick to the no shopping for a year thing, I may need some rules. The ladies of 365 fashion rehab had some but I am inventing my own:
1- No shopping for a year means no buying a single thing for myself such as clothing, bags, shoes and accessories.
2- I can shop for items for my house, my husband and my children only when it is a necessity and not a hobby or a stress reliever.
3- Beauty essentials can be bought because after all I need to look and smell good. (I am not that vain but there are some products I cannot live without such as Olive Oil hair conditioning) Therefore hair products, deodorants, perfume, beauty creams are not off limits.
4- I can buy presents for my family and friends
5- And if the hubby or someone else buys me something without requesting it while we are say at the mall, it does not mean that I am shopping.
6- I am allowed to have a relapse (well, this is fashion rehab after all) on periods such as Christmas.
It will be extremely hard for me not to buy a single fashion item for a whole year. I am shaking even thinking about it. What will happen to me if I do not shop for an entire year? Will I die? Will I loose inspiration for my blog? Will I get bored of my already owned clothes? Will I succumb to temptation when I see something nice? I have no idea. Maybe I should stick to a period of time that is relatively safe such as 3 months. See! I am already having cold feet.
I am embarking on this journey because I need to do this for myself. This is not about someone else but just me. I need to grow up and cure myself of this obsession. Maybe I will get great things out of this experience. What? I hope to tell you in a year
Check out Ali and Perdy challenging and fun blog:
http://www.365fashionrehab.com/p/rules-regs.html
But let me explain to you why I want to do such a crazy thing.
- I am a shopaholic. I buy things that I do not necessarily need or wear just because I can buy it or it is trendy or on sale. I shop as an outlet, a way to relieve stress. Back in college, I would shop with my best friend after we finished exams as a way to relax. Some people would watch a movie, take an R&R, but she and I would shop until we drop (literally). Since then, it became a habit. Whenever I am stressed, at home or at work, I would shop.
- Due to my excessive shopping, I have no money and I am in debt. All the money I earned while working for a short period of time before giving birth was spent on clothes, shoes and bags. (but also on my son's tuition...). As a result, I have a closet full of clothes that I never wear -because most of those clothes are not suitable to my lifestyle of a stay at home mother- and a bank account in the red.
- I want to take this time off from shopping to learn a few things about myself, and about what is important for me. I want to learn about what I like, dislike, what I can wear and cannot. I would also want to learn to invest in finer things instead of cheap things. Let us face it, it is not in my plan to be a stay at home mother forever therefore I need more than jeans and tees and flats. Someday hopefully, I will be a career woman and I will need to look the part. But more than that, I am not 20 anymore therefore it is about time that I stop shopping at the Juniors department. I am not sure I can rival Rene Russo in the Thomas Crown Affair but she is my goal (her and Mrs Obama) as to what a stylish and elegant lady is.
- I also hope that by stopping shopping, I would get creative with the clothes I already own and take a better care of them. I am so messy with my clothes that it is hard for me to find them when I need them. And since I cannot find them in the mess that is my closet, I always end up buying something new, thinking that I do not own it. For example, I wanted to buy a light cardigan to cover my shoulders for when I wear my tube maxi dresses. I was about to buy a brand new one when I discovered (while cleaning up my closet) that I owned several already. This habit of mine costs me a lot of money already. And I am not about to repeat the same mistake.
Now, to stick to the no shopping for a year thing, I may need some rules. The ladies of 365 fashion rehab had some but I am inventing my own:
1- No shopping for a year means no buying a single thing for myself such as clothing, bags, shoes and accessories.
2- I can shop for items for my house, my husband and my children only when it is a necessity and not a hobby or a stress reliever.
3- Beauty essentials can be bought because after all I need to look and smell good. (I am not that vain but there are some products I cannot live without such as Olive Oil hair conditioning) Therefore hair products, deodorants, perfume, beauty creams are not off limits.
4- I can buy presents for my family and friends
5- And if the hubby or someone else buys me something without requesting it while we are say at the mall, it does not mean that I am shopping.
6- I am allowed to have a relapse (well, this is fashion rehab after all) on periods such as Christmas.
It will be extremely hard for me not to buy a single fashion item for a whole year. I am shaking even thinking about it. What will happen to me if I do not shop for an entire year? Will I die? Will I loose inspiration for my blog? Will I get bored of my already owned clothes? Will I succumb to temptation when I see something nice? I have no idea. Maybe I should stick to a period of time that is relatively safe such as 3 months. See! I am already having cold feet.
I am embarking on this journey because I need to do this for myself. This is not about someone else but just me. I need to grow up and cure myself of this obsession. Maybe I will get great things out of this experience. What? I hope to tell you in a year
Check out Ali and Perdy challenging and fun blog:
http://www.365fashionrehab.com/p/rules-regs.html
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