Ahhh YAS! No makeup me! 😀
Jeans (on sale!) | striped tee | Moto jacket | sneakers (best purchase I ever made!) | Diaper bag
Harley
Onesie | jeans | moccs c/o Freshly Picked in ‘weathered brown’
So I actually only own 7 pairs of jeans/pants. Maybe to some that is a lot, but let me tell you, in the blogging world that is NOTHING! But you know what, I’m perfectly content. I’m going to share today how you DO NOT need a different outfit for every day of the year. BUT how you can still enjoy the rush of getting something new. Keep your wardrobe fresh and fun; while not going into debt over it.
While it’s true that I DO love to shop and I DO love love love clothes, there is such a thing as too much (I know crazy right! How can I even say there’s such a thing as too many clothes, or too much makeup, hair products etc.) I feel that in today’s world its almost like there’s some invisible line we draw for ourselves. On one side you either live in the world of buying the latest trends, dropping cash like it’s nothing…Or your life is forever stuck in the thrift store version on the other side of that silly line. (Actually I do like thrift stores lol).
I use to live there. I’ve lived on both sides in fact. But fortunately over time I learned how to erase that line, find a way to afford the clothes I wanted, without breaking the bank or becoming glutinous. Now let me make one thing clear now…shopping and spending a lot on outfits (if it’s within your means) doesn’t make you a terrible person-I mean hello! I’m blogging about fashion at this very moment- I honestly feel that it’s not my business how other people choose to spend their wealth…we each have things we easily spend money on, and others that we’re more frugal about, there’s no right or wrong.
Now for me, there was a time when I would buy two new outfits a week-at least-among other things. I mean I could afford it, all my bills were paid, and I never went into debt shopping. But it didn’t take long before the magic and excitement of having a new item disintegrated; I actually felt empty with all the things I had.
Now i’m in a place where I’m soooo happy when I get something new + I feel guilt free + I feel I’m being practical with my purchases. Now I do get quite a few sponsors and that helps, but you still can have a classy closet full of pieces you love without spending $$$$$ for it.
THOUGHTS & IDEAS THAT WORK FOR ME. MAYBE THEY’LL WORK FOR YOU! 🙂
Project build my perfect wardrobe
1-BUDGET IT: Now before you cover your ears, close your eyes or find some other way to tune out just read on please. Budgeting is literally GUILT FREE spending. It’s GLORIOUS! Say good bye to buyer’s remorse, guilt and surprise negative balances. Now every family has their own method of doing this. For me and Daniel, we use a finance program that forces us to categorize and log every transaction we make. The beginning of each month we can log our expected income, how much will go towards bills, and create budgets for groceries, bills, debt, date nights, donations, gas, eating out, baby sitter money etc. This helps us see where we might need to cut back on some things, or have a little more to spend in other areas. There is also a FUN budget we create 😉 Daniel and I each have a spending budget for the month–I read a finance management book years ago that talks about the importance of having a ‘Fun Money’ budget. Because this helps you maintain a healthy, positive relationship with money. And prevents you from resenting your financial situation and ultimately your life–And if we choose not to spend the entire amount that month, it rolls over to the next month. This teaches us to save for something big we might want, teaches patience, and really helps you figure out what you actually want.
2-ASK THE QUESTION: Sometimes when you have the cash on hand it’s easy to make impulse buys left and right (I use to be the QUEEN of impulse buying). But ask yourself “okay, do I really want this. Is there something similar I want MORE? Will I even use it?”
Exp: I’m always tempted to buy big warm coats, boots, boot socks, scarves and sweaters. But then I remind myself. “Joi, you live in Houston. It’s NEVER cold enough for all this!”
3. DON’T GET IT UNTIL YOU NEED IT: This is a new tactic I’ve been putting into effect (and not just with clothes). But as a society we buy sooo much of the same thing. Do you really need 4 pairs of running shoes? What if you owned 1 pair, think what you could buy with the money from those other 3? You can build the rest of your dream wardrobe! Aaaand by doing this I feel better about spending the money on nice things that will last for awhile.
Exp: My adidas in this post are a little pricy, but they are my only pair of casual sneakers and i LOVE THEM! Honestly if you know me or follow my insta then you know that I wear them repeatedly! And I’ve had them for almost 3 years. They’ve held up sooo well and they never go out of style.
4-IT WILL ALWAYS GET MARKED DOWN: Just be patient. Things always, always, always go on sale. Especially at the big box stores, Nordstrom, Shopbop, and even places like American Eagle, Abercrombi & Fitch. Things get marked down so quickly, and they get marked down by a lot. So be a stalker if you have to. I’ve limited myself to only buying 2 (at most, I aim for only 1) pair of jeans a year. But jeans are something that I NEED them to be quality..because I live in jeans, and wear through them so fast. But you get what you pay for, and sometimes I just don’t want to pay haha. So often I find a pair I love online, and check back daily to see if they go on sale (Nordstrom frequently price matches, so they’ll randomly have things marked down significantly for a couple days) then I snag them while they’re marked at a decent price 😀 bwah haha.
5-ASK FOR IT: Use birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s ANYTHING to request a gift card to your favorite place. (secret…that’s where a majority of my clothes come from hehehe)
I hope that gives ya’ll some ideas. Remember that it’s good to feel good and love what you put on your body. They don’t have to be super expensive, but they don’t have to be ragged and dirty either. Find the middle that works for you and your family. Be responsible, and just love yourself!
xo
“Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Everything will work out in the end.
Gordon B. Hinckley