My 6-Month Clothing Fast

I’m a shopaholic. At least I was a shopaholic, especially when it came to bargain shopping. For the majority of my life, I never stopped to consider if I truly needed a purchase – if an item looked great, was a desirable brand, and it was an amazing bargain, I bought it.

Then God started turning my world upside down with all sorts of realizations about stewardship and my excessive amount of belongings. Bargains or not, I had spent money entrusted to me by the Lord on stuff. Stuff that doesn’t last.

Clothing happened to be a big part of that stuff that doesn’t last. And even though I only shopped for bargains – and had even switched over to shopping for clothes at thrift stores – I still had too much. I had squandered our money on clothing.

So in January I declared a self-inflicted clothing fast. I wanted to take it in 3-month increments, just to see how everything went.

Oh.My.Goodness. I’ve changed so much in a half a year.

Hey, big spender!
At first, it was difficult. I realized exactly how much I turned to retail therapy. If I was given a free evening after a rough day, it was fun to mindlessly wander the aisles of a store. The problem was, whenever I thought I was just window shopping, I found myself thinking of potential purchases more. I was more likely to be discontent with what I had – just because I was accustomed to browsing whatever I didn’t have.

So I stopped going to stores. My weekly shopping trips were limited to grocery stores, and even then I began splurging on good grocery deals I found. To try to curb my tendency to overshop, I’ve now limited my grocery store runs to about two times a month.

The benefits of going cold turkey
I’m glad I went cold turkey when it came to shopping for clothes. It took a couple months to break out of my thought patterns – and finally, I could walk into a clothing store and actually look at clothes on the rack.

I was a little nervous when cute spring and summer clothes hit the stores, because it’s typically a tempting time to freshen up your wardrobe. Fortunately my friends and I held a clothing swap, so I was able to boost my wardrobe for free – all while recycling.

For the record, I only intended to use my clothing fast on my own clothing. I have two young children who outgrow clothing at a lightning fast rate, so I’m always on the lookout for good bargains. (End of the season clearance sales, anyone?) But once I started consciously thinking about my own purchases, I realized that I don’t have to go overboard on my children’s clothing.

Six month check-in
Once the first three months of the fast went by really quickly, I decided to try another three months. Could I go six months without buying clothing?

No. This spring I found a cute skirt that I thought would be perfect for the summer – and it was $1.99. I couldn’t resist making the purchase, but I feel a twinge of guilt every time I wear it.

I was in for a huge surprise, though. When my family was recently vacationing in the Myrtle Beach area, I announced that my clothing fast was over. I had made it for six months without shopping for clothing, and in the past I had LOVED shopping in Myrtle Beach. We were planning a day out, and I was ready to hunt for bargains. I was particularly excited to head to one of the area’s Goodwill stores I read about in Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. I had never ever thought of going to a thrift store on vacation in the past – outlet malls were more my speed – but I was ready to try it.

The Goodwill in North Myrtle Beach was amazing. It was large, very clean, and had racks and racks filled with clothing for adults. It was a thrifter’s dream come true.

But here was the utter shock: I couldn’t buy anything. I started browsing through the racks, found some gently worn items with fantastic name brands – and I just couldn’t buy them. Technically I could have, but I had absolutely no desire to shop. I kept looking at the cute clothes and thinking, “I already have a shirt that’s close to that color.” Or, “Would I actually wear that skirt very often?” And deep down, I kept thinking, “I have enough clothes. I don’t need more.”

I have enough clothes. I don’t need more.

Honestly, I am shocked. I am shocked that six months of a clothing fast could change my attitude so radically.

Where do I go from here?
It’s really important to note that once I returned home and went grocery shopping at my local bargain store, I found some brand-new Target brand T-shirts – in my size – on sale in the closeout section for 99 cents. I bought a white one and a black one, knowing that I’ll get a lot of use out of both shirts in every season.

I’m glad I made the purchases, because I think I’ve finally developed a healthy sense of shopping. I don’t feel compelled to go hog wild over clothing that I’ll not wear very often. But if I find a good (OK, amazing) deal on a staple, it’s OK to make the purchase.

So I’m going to continue a slightly modified clothing fast for the rest of 2013. I’m going to stay away from stores. And I’m going to avoid making any clothing purchase unless it’s something I really need or know that I will wear quite often.

Talk back
Do you struggle with making too many needless purchases, even if you find great bargains? Do you want to change? How can you start making changes – and when will you start?

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Hilary Kimes Bernstein

Hilary Kimes Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, mama, and journalist. She writes about making healthy decisions that honor God and happen to help the environment at Accidentally Green. Short and sweet - like her writing - Hilary is the author of several healthy living eBooks.

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