September 1st and not yet starting

Jane is doing The Year of No Clothes buying with me, and starting on 1st January.  She's not a Quaker, but I mentioned my plan in the Q newsletter, asking if anyone migh join/support me and have had no response.  I'm pretty sure no one reads it actually.  Anyway, it looks like I might start then too, or maybe 1st October.  I just want to unpack my winter clothes first and check I have everything I'll need.

I've decided on a start date...

January 1st.  I feel this is a bit of a cop out but it does, to me, make sense to wait till I get out my winter clothes to see if there are enough (I know there is, but hey) to last me through this and next winter.

Failed to start

Oh dear...I bought another top today.  It was 20% off, but still.  I suppose I could think that I am preventing the retail slump but that's not what I planned to do.  Talked with Helen over lunch and set the start date as 1st September.  On the plus side, cancelled another mail order catalogue which arrived today but haven't yet deleted the Shopping file which contains all my favourite online sites...

Preventative steps

The Celtic sheepskin  catalogue arrived today, I get loads of catalogues from everywhere I've ever bought online.  Full of highly desirable things, and more expensive than ever this year.  I looked, then chucked it into the recycling box AND - this is the preventative first step of many - I sent an email asking to be removed from their mailing list. BUT I've just spent half an hour or so browsing through the New Arrivals in all my favourite shops online.  HOWEVER, I didn't buy anything extra in Tesco today although I was tempted by the two books for £8, having picked up two titles I'd like to read.  Instead, I've booked them online at the library ... but couldn't resist  buying two others at Oxfam.

Cutting my Carbon Footprint

By 10% seems a realistic target.  So, if I use my hairdryer, say, 65 times a year, that would mean not using it on 6.5 occasions.  Same with the iron, straighteners, shower, washing machine, car - these are my main areas of domestic consumption.  There are some websites that help with the calculations.  I'm not sure about the shower though - perhaps it would be more manageable to reduce my time in it by 10%?  I'm number crunching and will soon set a date to start.

The new blouse, two days later

Well, I've worn it for two days and just now stained it with beetroot juice at lunch.  Is there a message here for me?  Atonement, I  put another top onto ebay.  I loved it when it was new but have only worn it once. It has one watcher so far.

Resisted temptation in Tesco

Well, they did have in some of their autumn collection and after almost six months in sandals and light clothes, woolies begin to look attractive.  So I had a careful look but fortunately nothing screamed out that I must buy it.  I wonder if,eventually, I won't even trawl through the clothes aisles after the weekly shop?  I also think that online browsing, and magazines, will have to be banned at first.

The last shoping expedition?? 11th August

The idea started when Ma gave me £25 of M&S vouchers yesterday.  Before that, I was quite decided that the Year of No Clothes Buying would start soon.  I had worked out roughly how much money I might save over the year (good) and pondered various obstacles - would I accept clothes as gifts? discount those bought from charity shops? or what if I bought material to make them myself?  My inner shopper niggled away. (Bad.) until the vouchers.  Well, of course I ended up at M&S today.  Early. A 30 mile round trip adding to the guild of my carbon footprint.  And guess what, there wasn't much I wanted at M&S (good) but I managed to buy a pair of trousers anyway (useful, bad). I was leaving the shopping centre, honestly, but made a small diversion into Wallis where I bought two lovely tops. (£71, yikes.)  I'm wearing one now, it is beautiful and I do feel good in it.  The other one is for a party next Saturday, although I had already decided I'd wear my new  dress.  I'm beginning to feel this is like dieting.  Just do it.  No more excuses.