A month or two ago, I decided to put myself on a strict budget. I would get the money out every Saturday, and anything I bought that week had to be paid for with cash. Anything left over at the end of the week went into a special Summer Clothes Shopping fund.
Today I counted up all my money: in addition to the money I'd saved by being on this budget, I had not spent $64.30. I gave myself a bonus for being so good, and took myself shopping.
I came home with three tops and three dresses and $41.55. (The 'and $41.55' part is good as I still would like some new bathers. Not that that will get me any surf brand pair.)
I ended up with a lot of stripes and navy-coloured things. This is not to say there there was really an exceptional amount of these things in the shops, just that of all the things the shops had to offer me (florals, peach-coloured things, rompers), I only liked the small percentage that was dark or striped.
And I figured out that I almost always come around to fashion trends eventually. Like those shoes that have many many straps across your foot? They are looking cute now. And today I bought a maxi dress. I fully expect that next years' shopping trip will involve me purchasing a by-then out of style mullet dress that I will have finally been persuaded looks good.
I have enjoyed my little experiment, and think I will continue it. It is interesting to consider whether paying extra for a name brand is worth it, or if I really need a jar of Nutella, or if that dress is $10 cuter than the other one.
(Often it's not, but sometimes it is. Yes I totally do, alright no I don't. No, it wasn't.)
