Anyone else want to try this with me? Take a purchase pause
We are spending a lot of money right now - just finished vacation, this weekend's entertaining of visitors, home improvements ...
I think I need to decide what else is truly necessary and what is optional. I like her idea about writing down each thing you think of purchasing and the cost and then not buying it for a set period of time. I am going to try for 90 days!!! Yes, the whole summer.
On a different topic, I found new homes for the book shelves and chair that need to leave our house. A neighbor is delighted to upgrade her book shelves and the chair is going either to someone moving to town without furniture or a guest house for families of those in town for treatment of brain injuries. I am very happy.
I also am tickled that the interior designer I hired really gets both what we want to achieve in remodeling a bathroom for sale appeal and the need to save money doing it! I think it will be beautiful and fit the era and style of the house while being modern. I'll take before and after photos to share.
Showing posts with label money well spent?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money well spent?. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Evaluation: January wardrobe additions - one month and a year or more ago
The ongoing challenge of trying to remake my wardrobe.
This January I spent $67 and picked up several things with mixed results. I was also surprised at how little cold weather we had and it looks like February will also be unusually warm.
Tops
I am short. Most tops are too long. Some of these fall in that category, but while the first 2 look ok and all fill a need to stay warm I'm not sure about the third.
Olive sweater (Eddie Bauer) - $12 thrifted; 3 wears - I love how this looks on. Here I cozied it up with a vest, scarf and hiking boots that were keeping my feet warm on our first real winter day.
Wine tweed cowl sweater (Charter Club) - $14 thrifted; 2 wears - I was looking for an oversized acrylic sweater that was right for our colder days and there it was! Perfect.
Stone tweed zip cardigan - $13 thrifted; 2 wears - I have removed the zipper and washed & dried it so far so it is smaller now. I need to play with this more as I think it is too straight and long and makes me look frumpy. I'm going to try fastening it with a brooch to see if that helps. It is warm though it may have to move on to someone else's closet.
Mauve 3/4 sleeve top - $4 thrifted; 0 wears - I'm not so sure about the color of this as it may be too muted for me. I am in the process of shortening it. Will see how it works out in warmer weather.
Bottoms
Gray corduroy pants - $4 thrifted; 0 wears - I was eyeing a similar pair on Macy's website that were on sale for $23 but then stopped by a thrift store on a day where everything was 40% off. Had to hem them and they are lower rise than I prefer but .... how great is that since I only will wear them 1 or 2 months a year. Now that they are hemmed it has gotten much warmer of course with a high for today of 71!
Accessories
Artsy mixed metal and bead brooch - $13 Etsy vintage; 2 wears - This was a great find. Fits my evolving style and makes me smile.
Silver leaf broach - $7 Etsy vintage; 0 wears - I don't like this now that I have received it so it is going into the donate pile.
Years past January purchases:
Indigo down jacket - 2015; $60 on sale - Great purchase. This is one of those down jackets that packs into a small bag and I love it. Perfect for much of our cooler weather, travels well, and goes with everything. I wore it last February on the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco as shown here with my husband and younger son.
Charcoal zip vest - 2012 I think; about $20 - Another great purchase. I've pretty much worn this to death but it is still ok for casual wear. I'm going to have to find a replacement in the next 2 years.
This January I spent $67 and picked up several things with mixed results. I was also surprised at how little cold weather we had and it looks like February will also be unusually warm.
Tops
I am short. Most tops are too long. Some of these fall in that category, but while the first 2 look ok and all fill a need to stay warm I'm not sure about the third.
Olive sweater (Eddie Bauer) - $12 thrifted; 3 wears - I love how this looks on. Here I cozied it up with a vest, scarf and hiking boots that were keeping my feet warm on our first real winter day.
Wine tweed cowl sweater (Charter Club) - $14 thrifted; 2 wears - I was looking for an oversized acrylic sweater that was right for our colder days and there it was! Perfect.
Stone tweed zip cardigan - $13 thrifted; 2 wears - I have removed the zipper and washed & dried it so far so it is smaller now. I need to play with this more as I think it is too straight and long and makes me look frumpy. I'm going to try fastening it with a brooch to see if that helps. It is warm though it may have to move on to someone else's closet.
Mauve 3/4 sleeve top - $4 thrifted; 0 wears - I'm not so sure about the color of this as it may be too muted for me. I am in the process of shortening it. Will see how it works out in warmer weather.
Bottoms
Gray corduroy pants - $4 thrifted; 0 wears - I was eyeing a similar pair on Macy's website that were on sale for $23 but then stopped by a thrift store on a day where everything was 40% off. Had to hem them and they are lower rise than I prefer but .... how great is that since I only will wear them 1 or 2 months a year. Now that they are hemmed it has gotten much warmer of course with a high for today of 71!
Accessories
Artsy mixed metal and bead brooch - $13 Etsy vintage; 2 wears - This was a great find. Fits my evolving style and makes me smile.
Silver leaf broach - $7 Etsy vintage; 0 wears - I don't like this now that I have received it so it is going into the donate pile.
Years past January purchases:
Indigo down jacket - 2015; $60 on sale - Great purchase. This is one of those down jackets that packs into a small bag and I love it. Perfect for much of our cooler weather, travels well, and goes with everything. I wore it last February on the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco as shown here with my husband and younger son.
Charcoal zip vest - 2012 I think; about $20 - Another great purchase. I've pretty much worn this to death but it is still ok for casual wear. I'm going to have to find a replacement in the next 2 years.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Evaluation: October wardrobe additions - one month and a year or more ago
Another evaluation of clothing purchases. I think I am doing better with my wardrobe purchases now that I have evaluated what will fit me, my style for my lifestyle and have a great color palette for my 66 year old hair and face! I am doing the month before last to make sure I had time to wear what I bought and also looking at what is left in my wardrobe from previous Octobers.
I have learned from the items I marked as questionable and am taking more time to make my shopping decisions in hopes of reducing the frequency of potential errors.
What I bought in October 2015 - 6 items for $81
I am happy with all but one of my purchases!
I've rated them
* love it - 5 items
√ works well; keep - 0 items
? not sure I'll keep - 1 item
* Charter Club gray jeans - $37 new on sale - 6 wears. I will get a lot of use out of these!
? Loft sparkly greige 3/4 sleeve wool blend top - $18 at consignment store - 1 wear. The weather just turned cold enough to wear this so I popped it on for an evening of dinner theatre the day after Thanksgiving. It doesn't seem to sit right when I move so I don't know if I'll keep it. I figured out how to fix this by taking it up in the shoulders!
* Neon Buddha cayenne long sleeve top - $10 at consignment store - 3 wears. I'm still experimenting with styling this longer top but really love the color and fit.
* Talbots flowered short sleeve sweater - $16 at consignment store - 2 wears; I LOVE this in outfits but it is now awaiting warmer weather!
* Olive open front 3/4 sleeve cardigan - $5 at consignment store - 3 wears. This was one of those tops with a sewn in fake top that was white. I cut that out to make a topper and I like it a lot so it will be back in warmer weather.
* Coldwater Creek red/multi flecks acrylic scarf - $5 at thrift store - 1 wear. Enjoyed wearing this on an urban hike over Thanksgiving holiday week. I bought this to make my black wool winter coat less of an awful color for me. I'd like to use the coat 2 more winters as we don't have that much really cold weather and then when we move I'll leave it behind and get something new.
In my wardrobe from previous Octobers - Quite a lot!
* Graphite fleece jacket (2012) - $20 new; still wearing as a basic jacket.
√ Waterproof hiking boots/walking shoes (2014) - $100: I have not worn these as much as I thought I would but am going to focus on doing so this winter. I recently bought gel inserts to try to add more cushioning but haven't walked with them in yet.
* August Silk berry shell (2014) - $8 at consignment store. Wear quite a bit and will more.
* August Silk berry cardigan (2014) - $9 at consignment store. Wear frequently.
√ 3 Lands End v neck long sleeve modal tops (2013) - $20 each new. Still wearing for exercise.
√ Blue & black long sleeve exercise top (2012) - $20 new. Still wear it.
√ Charcoal cardigan (2013) - $20 new. Still wear this and still find useful as a basic
√ Black cardigan (2012) - $20 new. I still wear it occasionally and it is faded to graphite which is one of my colors.
* LL Bean navy and black leather jeans belts (2014) - $40 each new. These were great purchases!
I have learned from the items I marked as questionable and am taking more time to make my shopping decisions in hopes of reducing the frequency of potential errors.
What I bought in October 2015 - 6 items for $81
I am happy with all but one of my purchases!
I've rated them
* love it - 5 items
√ works well; keep - 0 items
? not sure I'll keep - 1 item
* Charter Club gray jeans - $37 new on sale - 6 wears. I will get a lot of use out of these!
* Neon Buddha cayenne long sleeve top - $10 at consignment store - 3 wears. I'm still experimenting with styling this longer top but really love the color and fit.
* Talbots flowered short sleeve sweater - $16 at consignment store - 2 wears; I LOVE this in outfits but it is now awaiting warmer weather!
* Olive open front 3/4 sleeve cardigan - $5 at consignment store - 3 wears. This was one of those tops with a sewn in fake top that was white. I cut that out to make a topper and I like it a lot so it will be back in warmer weather.
* Coldwater Creek red/multi flecks acrylic scarf - $5 at thrift store - 1 wear. Enjoyed wearing this on an urban hike over Thanksgiving holiday week. I bought this to make my black wool winter coat less of an awful color for me. I'd like to use the coat 2 more winters as we don't have that much really cold weather and then when we move I'll leave it behind and get something new.
In my wardrobe from previous Octobers - Quite a lot!
* Graphite fleece jacket (2012) - $20 new; still wearing as a basic jacket.
√ Waterproof hiking boots/walking shoes (2014) - $100: I have not worn these as much as I thought I would but am going to focus on doing so this winter. I recently bought gel inserts to try to add more cushioning but haven't walked with them in yet.
* August Silk berry shell (2014) - $8 at consignment store. Wear quite a bit and will more.
* August Silk berry cardigan (2014) - $9 at consignment store. Wear frequently.
√ 3 Lands End v neck long sleeve modal tops (2013) - $20 each new. Still wearing for exercise.
√ Blue & black long sleeve exercise top (2012) - $20 new. Still wear it.
√ Charcoal cardigan (2013) - $20 new. Still wear this and still find useful as a basic
√ Black cardigan (2012) - $20 new. I still wear it occasionally and it is faded to graphite which is one of my colors.
* LL Bean navy and black leather jeans belts (2014) - $40 each new. These were great purchases!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Evaluation: September wardrobe purchases - one month and a year or more ago
I think I am doing better with my wardrobe purchases now that I have evaluated what will fit me, my style for my lifestyle and have a great color palette for my 66 year old hair and face! So I thought I would follow the lead of the love Mette at The Yogastic Shopping Planner and evaluate my purchases. I am doing the month before last to make sure I had time to wear what I bought and also looking at what is left in my wardrobe from previous Septembers.
I have learned from the items I marked as questionable and am taking more time to make my shopping decisions in hopes of reducing the frequency of potential errors.
What I bought in September 2015 - 12 items for $159
I've rated them
* love it - 5 items
√ works well; keep - 5 items
? not sure I'll keep - 2 items
* Loft army green cargo jacket - $35 at consignment store - 10 wears: I think this lightweight windbreaker type jacket with a hood was a great buy for my lifestyle!
* Wheat Clarks loafers - $64 new at discount store - 16 wears: I love these!
√ Olive patterned Chico's slacks - $9 at consignment store - 5 wears: These are working into my wardrobe well
? Orange short sleeve bow blouse - $14 at consignment store - 3 wears: This is polyester and although I love the color and style, but I'm not sure about the lack of give in the fabric. Will see if I chose to wear it in the future.
* Gray ruffle neck Loft knit top - $14 at consignment store - $10 - 2 wears: Love this!
√ Berry & ivory stripe top - $16 new at discount store- 4 wears: Useful and basic top
* Stone 3/4 sleeve cardigan - $16 new at discount store- 11 wears: Great buy. Works well with so many things
√ Tan braided belt - $9 new at discount store- 8 wears: Filled a hole in wardrobe, but I would prefer a smooth leather one
√ Wine scarf - $17 new at discount store- 2 wears: This will get more use in cooler weather.
? Purple and silver bracelet - $5 at consignment store - 1 wear: It is a bit tight on my wrist, but I like the colors and style and it goes with a lot of things so I'll see how much I wear it.
Left in my closet from prior Septembers - not much!
√ Orange sweater - love the color; it probably has just one more season
I have learned from the items I marked as questionable and am taking more time to make my shopping decisions in hopes of reducing the frequency of potential errors.
What I bought in September 2015 - 12 items for $159
I've rated them
* love it - 5 items
√ works well; keep - 5 items
? not sure I'll keep - 2 items
* Loft army green cargo jacket - $35 at consignment store - 10 wears: I think this lightweight windbreaker type jacket with a hood was a great buy for my lifestyle!
* Wheat Clarks loafers - $64 new at discount store - 16 wears: I love these!
√ Olive patterned Chico's slacks - $9 at consignment store - 5 wears: These are working into my wardrobe well
? Orange short sleeve bow blouse - $14 at consignment store - 3 wears: This is polyester and although I love the color and style, but I'm not sure about the lack of give in the fabric. Will see if I chose to wear it in the future.
* Gray ruffle neck Loft knit top - $14 at consignment store - $10 - 2 wears: Love this!
* Stone 3/4 sleeve cardigan - $16 new at discount store- 11 wears: Great buy. Works well with so many things
√ Tan braided belt - $9 new at discount store- 8 wears: Filled a hole in wardrobe, but I would prefer a smooth leather one
* Tangerine scarf - $8 new at discount store- 3 wears: Now that it is cooler I will wear this a lot
√ Gray Jockey exercise leggings - $14 at discount store - 1 wear: Work great and now it is cool enough to wear them to Pilates sessions
Left in my closet from prior Septembers - not much!
? Black chinos and black dress slacks - need to be replaced this year with colors that work better for me at this stage. I have been wearing the black chinos though and reserving the black dress slacks for cold weather needs.
√ Orange & hot pink wicking shirts, black yoga pants and black/grey exercise capris - will keep using as they are still fine, but would buy different colors now
√ Orange & hot pink wicking shirts, black yoga pants and black/grey exercise capris - will keep using as they are still fine, but would buy different colors now
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