Wednesday, 30 January 2013

My Non-Shopping Challenge

Dress, Necklace and long sleeved Top from Primark, Shoes from ASOS, Tights from Dorothy Perkins



I wouldn't stay still when Mr Bertie was taking these photos and he wasn't in the mood for retakes, which explains the weird poses lol.

 Lately I have been spending far too much, which was confirmed to me last night when Mr Bertie got his credit card bill and over 50% of the transactions on there were for ASOS (oops) I always use his card and then just pay him in full for what I decide to keep on payday (before he has to pay the bill) but seeing it like this made me think I need to reign it in.  I have decided that from 1st February until 29th February (yes we have a leap year upon us) (oops I have just been informed it is not a leap year, I am using an old calendar it seems haha!) until 28th February I am banned from all online shopping (other than Sainsburys, we still need food and I am NOT braving the actual supermarket for anyone!) and I am giving myself an allowance of just £50 for offline purchases. I know I have said this is a non-shopping challenge but the reality is there will definitely be a time when I get the urge to buy something and if I already make a small allowance for it I can then choose when to spend this (as long as it is not online) and know I have that to fall back on if I get a desperate shopping urge. I will now need to decide whether to splurge that on one nice item (maybe a new top or some shoes in the sale) or whether I go whole hog and try some charity shop shopping (thrift store shopping for any Americans reading) and see if I can challenge myself to find a complete outfit for £50. 

Does anyone else want to join me on the challenge? Do you think it would be better to spend my £50 allowance on one really nice thing or to challenge myself to find a whole outfit from it from charity shops and cheap shops like Primark? If I go down that route I may need to go to Leeds to scour their charity shops as the ones in my town are pretty dire. Sometimes I see some things in there that really should just go in the bin! However some of our local charity shops also have brand new high street stock given to them with slight defects so I shouldn't rule them out I guess.

Wish me luck!!!!
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47 comments:

  1. Janinneneneinene it isn't a leap year!

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    1. Haha look what it took to make you comment :-p I might make more mistakes hahah ;-)
      xx

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    2. I do I do read all your posts though! Just I'm a failed blogger lol

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    3. Aw that's really sweet, thank you for reading :) You are not failed at anything missy! :)

      xx

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  2. Leap year was last year so only 28 days to do!!! xxx

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    1. Thanks, I changed it now, think I was looking at an old calendar haha, typical Janine. I think it is funny that this is the first comment you have made on here lol. Same for Caroline (briefrespite) it must have made you both feel the urge to suddenly comment lol :-p

      Hello by the way :) hope you enjoyed your day off

      xx

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  3. Such a super cute dress! I love the color! Good luck on your shopping ban!

    xo,
    Terry

    http://terrys-two-cents.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Terry and I think I am going to need it! :)

      xx

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  4. I have a monthly budget, it really helps me to think about what I buy more. I also write down every purchase so I can keep track of it, it's hard with a credit card to remember what I buy. Good luck, I know you can do it!
    Ginny
    mynewfavoriteoutfit.blogspot.com

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    1. I think I need to start writing down what I buy, it sounds like a very good idea. Thanks, I need all the luck I can get!!

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  5. I did the same thing around Christmas time. I've been trying to be good since then and so far I've been tempted but resisted!

    Amy

    Fashion and Beauty Finds

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    1. Wow that is very good going, well done!

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  6. You can do it! It was me who commented on your post on FB and although not shopping for a month as been hard seeing the money build up in my savings makes it easier.

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    1. Thanks Christine, I will have to take a leaf out of your book!

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  7. I might join you in this, I have a bit of a shopping addiction and it definitely needs reigning in, someone should probably just take my computer and debit card away from me! :)
    Rosalie x
    rosaliejayne.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Yey lets reign it in together :) It is so hard isn't it?! I might have to freeze my debit card into a block of ice like in Shopaholic movie and get Mr Bertie to order a new credit card (I know the current card details off by heart lol) and not let me see it or have access to it and just carry small amounts of money with me. It may be the only way forward! haha

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  8. But January is so long and boring and sure you have got some lovely things too :-) Your dress looks fab on you. Good luck with your spending ban...I am saving up for holidays so trying to do the same
    Lianne xx
    Rubyrubyslippers.blogspot.com

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    1. I know, that is why I started in February, January is such a bleurgh month and the only thing that really sees me through is the sales so I got that all out of my system and now ready to be frugal lol. Good luck to you with doing the same!

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  9. Good luck with the shopping challenge! I would join you but I already know I would fail haha. I too have an ASOS addiction, I think there should be some kind of ASOS Anonymous club! Personally I prefer buying one really nice thing, like a fab pair of shoes, over lots of cheap things. xxx

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    1. Thanks Josie, I will need all the luck. I agree one nice thing does seem a better idea. But then I have such a bad Primark addiction it may go in that direction, I don't know. Even better I might not spend it at all! Whoa that would be amazing haha

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  10. You look so amazing! I like it so much! : )

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  11. Cute dress!!!! You look wonderful!!! Love the color red!!! Good luck with the Online shopping confinement!!! :) I think that you should just ween yourself off the shopping slowly!!! It is never good to just try and quit cold turkey!! :)

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    1. Thanks and I tried the weening off slowly and it didn't work. I am like an alcoholic, one sniff and I am diving straight in there with the credit card haha.

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  12. Good luck with your spending ban! I love your dress too :)
    Daniella x

    http://daniella-r.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks Daniella, I hope I can do it :)

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  13. That dress is just darling - I love that color!

    XO
    Pearls & Paws

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    1. Thanks Heather, red is one of my favourite colours at the moment, glad you like it

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  14. Good luck with the shopping ban - if I were you, I'd save the money for something really nice!

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    1. Thanks, I wish I could save it for something nice but I have these urges whenever I am in Primark or other cheap shops. I need to learn some restrain lol

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  15. This is a really good challenge! Good luck!
    And maybe you can try both ways and see which one suits you better.

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    1. Thanks Emmy, I hope I can do it :)

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  16. El vestido es una monada!!!

    http://stylearua.blogspot.com.es

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  17. I love this dress i really do but what caught my eye was your hair colour, stunning!

    Txx

    http://www.fantasticfunfashion.blogspot.co.uk/

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  18. Good luck with your shopping challenge!! You should definitely check out your local charity shops - I buy a lot of my clothes from them. For example I picked up a hardly worn Jasper Conran sequinned slouch tee for about £3.50.

    You just need to be good at rummaging and have the patience to persevere with more than one shop, more often than not you'll find something you'll like!!

    Lx

    www.whatlisawrote.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks Lisa, I may give the charity shops a go soon. I need to go over to Leeds definitely though. I popped into a couple in town yesterday and it was just like the place where bad and worn out clothes went to die, seriously. I have much better luck in Leeds. I will report back if I find anything nice :)

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  19. Oh my God, I so admire you for doing this! I really should try spending a bit less too, but because my job requires me to look at lots of online stores every day (It's work, I swear!) the temptation is just too much for me to possibly resist! If it was me, I would probably spend the £50 at Primark or H&M so I'd be able to get a few things/a full outfit - I'm pretty bad with budgeting/restricting myself to just one thing, though, so I'm probably the worst possible person to comment on this. Will look forward to following your progress, though!

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    1. Haha thanks. I am not sure I could cope doing your job, I would go bankrupt if I was exposed to that level of online beauty every day!! I was thinking of either saving it and trying to find a nice handbag for £50 (I saw one in the sale in House of Fraser) as I really need a new one, but then I went into New Look and H&M and Primark the other day and say so many cheap cute things. Decisions, decisions and it is 2nd February, this £50 is burning a whole in my pocket already lol.

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  20. I love that dress with the polka dot tights! It can be hard to cut back on spending when it comes to pretty clothes, but I'd say it's worth it in the long run! Thrift stores are a good option--I don't think I have the best luck at thrift stores, though. People around here only get rid of things when they are REALLY worn out, it seems.

    www.therandomwritings.com

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    1. It is the same in my town Rachel, there is some real crap in our local charity shops. I have found good things in York, Leeds and also (oddly) when I went to Dumfries in Scotland, there must be some very rich ladies with too many clothes up there! I got loads of pretty things

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  21. Thanks for checking out our blog! I love this look on you, the combination of the bright red color and the shock of blonde hair is fantastic :)

    Good thoughts from Washington, D.C.,

    x Kelley of Stylesmiths
    Stylesmiths

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    1. Thanks, glad you like the combination :)

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  23. Oh that dress is so cute...I adore anything from ASOS!

    xoxo
    Erin

    www.thefashioncanvas.com

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  24. Love the dress and tights are fab. Very cute accessories as well. I will have to check out the ASOS store.

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