I have far too many items of clothing and it has happened because I like new things. Have you been in this position and changed your habits, shopping behaviour. I don’t know why I’ve over consumed so much and I can sell some items on Vinted. I think I need to be ruthless. I need to have a better mindset and view of clothes. What decisions or challenges have you faced and overcome when it comes to excessive spending?
What top tips do you have for not buying new clothes?
byu/MessyMidlife inFrugal
Posted by MessyMidlife
5 Comments
I know it sounds simple, but I just don’t go shopping for new clothes.
I repair, stain treat, or rebuild garments before buying more. If I buy more, I go to a thrift store. I rarely if ever buy new or more.
If I have to buy, I am replacing a garment, not adding to my closet.
st – makes you realize how much stuff you actually have
also started doing closet cleanouts every few months where i put everything i havent worn in 6+ months in a box, if i dont miss it after a month it goes to goodwill. turns out most of that stuff i completely forgot i even owned 💀
the hardest part was breaking that dopamine hit from buying new things but now i get the same feeling from organizing what i already have or finding old pieces i forgot about
Omg you sound like me. I crave novelty so bad, Novel foods, novel clothes, novel entertainment.
I was able to reign myself in a bit by working with a therapist to understand why I shopped a lot and was always bringing home random ingredients and drinks. What need am I trying to solve? Turns out I like control and was stressed and trying to soothe by exerting control over my environment.
I made some bigger life changes to improve my mental health, demoted myself at work for less responsibility, stepped down from some of my extra activities, stopped chasing friendships that were middling at best. I also introduced some other ways to soothe my desire for novelty. I like to read, so I found going to the library scratched the same itch that shopping did. And for my desire for strange new foods, I started spending saturday “shopping” for recipes, then making a meal plan with them.
Another suggestion, shop your closet. I forget what I have in my closet sometimes, and bringing out the long forgotten pieces and trying to pair them in new exciting ways. Also trying new ways to style it, like tuck in the front or the whole thing, sleeves rolled up, cuffed pant leg or short sleeves. Low key like a kid playing dress up.
I found sorting and organizing helped focus on what was and wasn’t needed. Like with like, then deciding what fit and looked best.