I’m a shopaholic. I have been for years. Fortunately for my family’s finances I’m a bargain shopper, but that’s also dangerous – if I find an amazingly good deal, I have a very hard time not buying it.
Over the past few years I’ve been trying to take control of my spending habits. In order to do this, I avoid stores. It sounds extreme, but I’ve tried hard to avoid temptation.
I thought that might be enough of an effort until I read about bloggers who have tried “no new clothing” experiments. (I appreciate the posts on Becoming Minimalist, Julie Gumm, Jen Hatmaker, and Raganella.) They all sounded pretty extreme to me – but then I remembered how my family was trying hard to slash unnecessary spending and how I was trying to improve my stewardship efforts.
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I also realized that because I have enough clothing to completely change my wardrobe and fill my closet every season, I don’t need to buy anything new.
So I’m not going to. I haven’t thought of many rules for this self-imposed shopping fast. For now, I think I’ll try three month increments. I’d love to commit to a year, but it seems a little scary – and legalistic. If I need to buy necessary items, I should know by the end of each season. I will be completely honest if I have any lapses. Since I know I have a tendency to make mindless purchases, I’ll stay away from clothing stores – this includes thrift stores.
I commit to not buying new or used clothing, shoes, or purses.
There are a few extenuating circumstances, though:
- If I happen to walk through a store and find a really cool necklace on clearance for under $3, I just might buy it. (Sorry! I haven’t narrowed my focus to fair trade purchases yet.)
- I still have a Christmas gift card that I’ll use to buy much-needed underwear.
- I know I’ll scour end-of-season sales racks for children’s clothing. I do this twice a year, where I find all sorts of great brand-new kids clothes for maybe $1 or $2 per item. I know I definitely need to buy ahead for next year’s winter coats and snow pants for Big Brother and Little Sister.
To clarify, I know this experiment is possible. Non-materialistic people do it all the time. But I can hardly wait to see how much money I can not waste on frivolous purchases. Most importantly, I think of the story of the rich man and the shrewd manager found in Luke 16. I do not want to be like the manager who is accused of wasting my possessions (Luke 16:1).
Talk back
Anyone want to join me on a clothing fast? I’m not asking for a long-term commitment, unless it’s something you choose. But how about starting with just one month? Try to avoid making new purchases and switch to a thrift store instead. Or, go cold turkey and avoid buying any new or used clothing. Be sure to let me know in the comments or on Facebook so we can encourage each other!
Planning to shop on Amazon.com
Today, I’m linking up with:
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I’m in… I like the idea of three month increments, because truly, a year seems too daunting! I have two Christmas gift cards to use for anything I need (I have lost a little weight, so will most likely need new jeans soon). :) Can’t wait to track your progress!
Me too! I’ll give it a try. Three months seems like a tme span I can manage. I’m losing weight, but have enough clothes packed away to do a couple of size downs with out having to buy anything. (Not that I won’t want to, but I won’t NEED to) :-) It will be nice to have someone holding me accountable and having someone to get encouragment from (and encourage).
I am IN!! I too am a shopaholic and have way too much clothing (as my husband would attest!) I am going to commit to not buying essentials that I truly NEED for myself and my boys. I want to be a better steward with what God has given to my family. I also need to remember that all we have been given is actually His and I need to manage it well!! God bless!
Yes it is possible, I’ve been living it for the last 3 years. Going from 2 incomes down to 1 so I could stay home caused us to cut out a lot and left little room for anything extra. But God has blessed us and we now have extra wiggle room in our budget. So I will be feasting this year, not fasting! :)
3 months is a great place to start. To be honest the first 2 months will probably be the hardest. They were for me. After that it became much easier. For me the key was just to avoid those areas of the stores completely. I stopped looking at fashion magazines and websites too :-) Thankfully Pinterest wasn’t around when I was doing my challenge :-)
Wow! I am impressed! I have seen the stories on these really strong (stronger than me I think!) women who have done this with GREAT success!!!! I will be reading along to see what you learn as you meet the challenge!
Popped over from Courtney’s January Faves & WLWW Link-Up Party to say hi!!!