t-shirts-on-rack-with-room-for-text-picjumbo-com (1).jpg

Let's call this real frugal confessions. I'm about to tell you something. Last year I bought a lot of clothes. Like a LOT of clothes. I bought jeans and dresses and skirts and tops and leggings. So MANY leggings. And you know what? I don't regret a single purchase. I've loved it all and worn it all and if I didn't love it I just passed it on to someone who did.

I bought all the clothes for a few reasons.

1. I had a baby. My body size and shape changed slightly, but I also needed to have clothes that I could easily nurse in and still be comfortable and someone stylish.

2. I found my style. Turns out I LOOOOVE long flowy tops paired with leggings or skinny jeans. That's my look. Or fun dresses paired with a floral jacket or cardigan and ankle boots.

3. I fell in love with color. For so long I bought into the idea that I needed to hide myself in a sea of black clothing. I owned and wore so much black. I thought because I am plus size I should only wear black.

But black doesn't really do my personality justice. Do you know what does? A striped dress under a floral jacket. That's my personality.

4. I wore shorts for the first time in over a decade. Where I live is super hot. And the summers are brutal and last summer I just wanted to be cool. So I bought shorts and I wore them in public and I regret NOTHING.

For so long I told myself I didn't have the body type for shorts. What type is that? A body with legs??

So I don't regret my clothing purchases. However. It's time to simmer down. It's time to really enjoy the closet I have and not add to it and instead get creative with my outfit pairings.

I am doing this to 1. appreciate what I have and 2. to save money.

I need to tighten up my budget and while I didn't go into debt to make any of these purchases, I feel like it wouldn't be a good use of my funds to continue to buy clothes at the same rate. Not to mention I don't have the closet space.

I need to focus on making what I have work for me. And I think this is a budget principle that could go across any category. We probably already have what we need to make what we have work.

So I am committing now to not buy clothes in 2018 with the exception of another pair of shorts, undergarments and a new swimsuit (it's been five years since I bought a swimsuit and it's ratty and falling apart.)

But I am going to try to get those things without spending money- like earning Swagbucks gift cards etc.