If I was made of cash, you would see me wearing a different outfit everyday.
I love clothes. I love the thrill of owning a new piece and wearing it out. I equally enjoy discovering ways to wear a new piece with items I already own in my wardrobe. It proves the purchase was a good decision!
The reality is I don’t have an unlimited budget when it comes to clothes shopping. Truth be told, most of us don’t have the budget to buy new clothes all the time. But like me, you certainly love the thrill! So how can you get the same thrill of new clothes when you can’t afford to buy anything new?
This is what I do, because I’m right there with you!
When I can’t afford new clothes but itch for something new, this is what I generally do:
• Sort out my wardrobe – Sometimes I have to remind myself of what I already own. Spring is an ideal time to do this. I go through all the clothes in my wardrobe and segregate the pieces that have not been worn in a long while. Often I try to sell these pieces or will donate depending on what it is I’m trying to offload.
• Create a wish list – Some online retailers will allow you to keep a wish list of pieces you’d love to own, but can’t quite afford right now. I have done this with Birdsnest and a few other online retailers. I will often wait for a sale or a code for free shipping before I make my purchase.
• Spend time creating new ways of wearing what I already own – This tip can take time, but it’s really worth the investment as I have discovered new ways to wear a piece.
Same cardi and shoes worn in three different outfits
• Keep money in Paypal for those sporadic purchases – like anyone, I can be prone to a spur of the moment purchase. I might be scrolling through Instagram and I see a dress I love and before I know it, I’ve added to cart. For these situations, I try to keep a little bit of money in my Paypal account for such purchases. I don’t leave a lot of money in my Paypal account because I have had my account hacked and all funds stolen with the account closed (I got the funds back but it taught me never to keep a lot of money in Paypal if it ever happened again!). So whenever I get funds, I will withdraw, but I will keep a small amount in for sporadic purchases.
• If funds are tight, I will head to an op shop – I have mixed success with op shops and I don’t always have the time to trawl through all the clothes to find something I’m specifically looking for, but it can certainly give you the same thrill of buying something new.
• Buy an accessory within budget – These days accessories can cost just as much as clothes! I’m quite picky about my accessories, but I find when I purchase well, these can add to the thrill of owning something new.
I’m not perfect when it comes to clothes shopping, and I have been prone to chuck a new purchase on the credit card and ‘figure out’ how to pay it off when the next pay comes through. But when you have a financial goal, it can be easier to control the urge to buy something new.
Enjoying the clothes you already own can give just as much a thrill as buying something new.
I also try to remember the thrill of owning new clothes will never be quenched with something new because ‘new’ will become ‘old’ sooner or later.
Which is why being content with what you own becomes all the more important.