Budget tip 2: shopping in your own closet
Besides being alcohol-free , I'm also trying to spend less money this month. One seems to make the other easier, as I'm saving on buying wine, the desire to go out for drinks decreases when you don't drink, and I'm also less likely to fall back into ordering food at home. Last week I tipped you about the unsubscribing from newsletters, this week we're diving into the wardrobe.
I suspect this is the first week in my life that I've bought less (read: no) clothing than my boyfriend. The delivery person just glanced at me when I picked up the package, of course thinking it was for me, but the bundle ended up in the corner of the living room. Not for me, so much less interesting.
At the start of a season, I find it harder to let things pass me by. Lotte just sent me a ribbed slipover from H&M and suddenly I need a ribbed slipover, even though three minutes ago I didn't even know such a thing was called a ribbed slipover. It should be clear that it can be a little less, and that's why I'm going to shop in my own closet for a month.
I haven't worn a sweater, cardigan, or tights all season, except for hoodies on Sundays. So it should be easy to put together a different outfit every day. In this lockdown it's completely light, because you just make an overview of which appointments you have and what you want to wear with them. The rest of the time you can completely let yourself go at home in whatever.
May said last week: ‘Why buy something new if you have nothing to wear it with?’ Also true. I'm going to pull a different combination from the closet every day for a month, which means I won't need anything new for a month. Are you joining?
To start, let's pick a date. It's often easy to choose Monday as the start day, as it feels like a new week. Then make a 30-day calendar, filling in the appointments you have and immediately writing down which favorite outfit you want to wear. Then you only have to tackle the rest. And of course, you can wear your favorite jeans twice a week, but each time different.
Just a tip from Bill Gates on how to save best (there must be some truth in it because the man didn't become incredibly rich for nothing): set a goal and calculate what is needed for it. If you know you're saving for a world trip that starts on October 2, 2021, and you need to catch the flight to Timbuktu at 11:32 AM on that day, then it's much more tangible what you're leaving that ribbed slipover from H&M hanging for.
