Capsule wardrobe-leaning wanna-be minimalist.
I've long been a bit of a nerd when it comes to money. I really like saving it. I mean, really.
Making each month's budget is actually something I enjoy. I do it in a very cool, high-tech way: I keep a notebook and write each month's budget in it with pencil.
My mother bought me The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyszyn when I was maybe 19 or 20. I was genuinely happy to receive it. Even then, many of the tips were dated, and a lot of it was taking frugality to an extreme I wouldn't bother with, but I was totally down with cutting cable, washing out my baggies, and using an empty toilet paper tube to keep my flat iron cord neat and tidy under the sink.
Don't get me wrong. I like to spend money, too. The girl who cuts my hair is totally worth the cost because she never disappoints me. Spending a little more on certain brands because they're more eco-friendly or buying organic when we can--not cheap, but worth it to us. But when I realize that I've been spending too much money on things I can't even recall, as occasionally happens, my internal alarm bells start going off. I get a bit of anxiety and reign it back in.
"That's all well and good," you're thinking, "but would you please get to your point?"
Why, yes! I will! Thank you for asking.
After looking over our budget to see where we can, or will have to, cut costs to make room for day care tuition, I was seized with the idea that we can reduce our grocery budget, reduce our spending, and still save and donate money while affording day care. We can!
With fervor and zeal, I began scouring the intertubes for personal finance (PF) information.
Oooh, a series on couponing! Hmm... no, not for me. I don't buy most of the stuff they make coupons for anyway...
But that lead me to--
Lookie! A "No-spend" month! I've read about these before! You only spend money on what's absolutely essential. The bills, obviously. But groceries? You need food, you want steak. So, no steak. Cute shoes? Nope. Coffee run? Nope. Hmm... maybe we can try this in February if Patrick's on board...
From there I found an article on--
The "The 40 Hanger Closet." Interesting.
This article intrigued me enough to stop looking up ways to stretch my dollars and instead focus on something important: clothes.
After reading that article, I kept digging and found some articles about what is called a "Capsule Wardrobe." Have any of you ever heard of this? If not, it's basically a small, but very well put-together wardrobe, in which every top goes with every bottom, of pieces you absolutely love. Some people go super-minimalist with only 10-15 "core" pieces, plus a few extras like t-shirts, tanks, accessories, and shoes of course. Other people allow themselves more. The core pieces change by season (a linen dress doesn't do well on 32 degree days, after all), but when you have your spring wardrobe out, your winter wardrobe should be put away.
In my mind, I'm a totally perfect candidate for this. In my snootiest voice, I hear myself telling people, "Yes, I have fewer things, but they're only the best pieces so I always look totally put together and amazing. And the best part of my idea--and no no else ever thought of this before, it really is totally, completely MY IDEA--is that getting dressed in the morning in such a breeze!"
For some reason, I'm holding a martini and a cigarette in one of those obnoxiously long cigarette holders when I give this imaginary speech. I don't actually smoke it. I just hold it and let the smoke curl upwards. I'm also wearing pearls and silk.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in the other part of my mind that makes me think more realistic thoughts and where I wear PJs as much as possible, I'm all, "Oh geez. How would I narrow it down? No, I don't love all of my clothes, but, I mean, I like them... and I spent money on them... and cleaning closets is some freakin' hard work!"
Nevertheless, I'm seriously considering a purge of my closet that would leave me as a capsule wardrobe-leaning wanna-be minimalist. Even though I can't wear MOST of my clothes right now, I still know which ones I normally wear regularly, and which ones I love and which ones I'm just "eh" about. I know which clothes make me feel really good when I'm in them, and which ones just get the job done of making me be not naked.
If you've managed to read this whole, Boring article, then first, Gold Stars for you! Secondly, what do you think? Would you be happy for me to purge my wardrobe and share the results? I could even take fancy schmancy pictures.
Let me know what you think about this in the comments. This could be a lot more exciting than my yogurt experiment.
Or not.
Fancy fine clothes to you and yours,
xo
Should I go for it and let you find out how I love or loathe the results? What do you think about the idea of a clothing purge, down to just the items you love, in general? Let me know!
Making each month's budget is actually something I enjoy. I do it in a very cool, high-tech way: I keep a notebook and write each month's budget in it with pencil.
My mother bought me The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyszyn when I was maybe 19 or 20. I was genuinely happy to receive it. Even then, many of the tips were dated, and a lot of it was taking frugality to an extreme I wouldn't bother with, but I was totally down with cutting cable, washing out my baggies, and using an empty toilet paper tube to keep my flat iron cord neat and tidy under the sink.
Don't get me wrong. I like to spend money, too. The girl who cuts my hair is totally worth the cost because she never disappoints me. Spending a little more on certain brands because they're more eco-friendly or buying organic when we can--not cheap, but worth it to us. But when I realize that I've been spending too much money on things I can't even recall, as occasionally happens, my internal alarm bells start going off. I get a bit of anxiety and reign it back in.
"That's all well and good," you're thinking, "but would you please get to your point?"
Why, yes! I will! Thank you for asking.
After looking over our budget to see where we can, or will have to, cut costs to make room for day care tuition, I was seized with the idea that we can reduce our grocery budget, reduce our spending, and still save and donate money while affording day care. We can!
With fervor and zeal, I began scouring the intertubes for personal finance (PF) information.
Oooh, a series on couponing! Hmm... no, not for me. I don't buy most of the stuff they make coupons for anyway...
But that lead me to--
Lookie! A "No-spend" month! I've read about these before! You only spend money on what's absolutely essential. The bills, obviously. But groceries? You need food, you want steak. So, no steak. Cute shoes? Nope. Coffee run? Nope. Hmm... maybe we can try this in February if Patrick's on board...
From there I found an article on--
The "The 40 Hanger Closet." Interesting.
This article intrigued me enough to stop looking up ways to stretch my dollars and instead focus on something important: clothes.
After reading that article, I kept digging and found some articles about what is called a "Capsule Wardrobe." Have any of you ever heard of this? If not, it's basically a small, but very well put-together wardrobe, in which every top goes with every bottom, of pieces you absolutely love. Some people go super-minimalist with only 10-15 "core" pieces, plus a few extras like t-shirts, tanks, accessories, and shoes of course. Other people allow themselves more. The core pieces change by season (a linen dress doesn't do well on 32 degree days, after all), but when you have your spring wardrobe out, your winter wardrobe should be put away.
In my mind, I'm a totally perfect candidate for this. In my snootiest voice, I hear myself telling people, "Yes, I have fewer things, but they're only the best pieces so I always look totally put together and amazing. And the best part of my idea--and no no else ever thought of this before, it really is totally, completely MY IDEA--is that getting dressed in the morning in such a breeze!"
For some reason, I'm holding a martini and a cigarette in one of those obnoxiously long cigarette holders when I give this imaginary speech. I don't actually smoke it. I just hold it and let the smoke curl upwards. I'm also wearing pearls and silk.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in the other part of my mind that makes me think more realistic thoughts and where I wear PJs as much as possible, I'm all, "Oh geez. How would I narrow it down? No, I don't love all of my clothes, but, I mean, I like them... and I spent money on them... and cleaning closets is some freakin' hard work!"
Nevertheless, I'm seriously considering a purge of my closet that would leave me as a capsule wardrobe-leaning wanna-be minimalist. Even though I can't wear MOST of my clothes right now, I still know which ones I normally wear regularly, and which ones I love and which ones I'm just "eh" about. I know which clothes make me feel really good when I'm in them, and which ones just get the job done of making me be not naked.
If you've managed to read this whole, Boring article, then first, Gold Stars for you! Secondly, what do you think? Would you be happy for me to purge my wardrobe and share the results? I could even take fancy schmancy pictures.
Let me know what you think about this in the comments. This could be a lot more exciting than my yogurt experiment.
Or not.
Fancy fine clothes to you and yours,
xo
Should I go for it and let you find out how I love or loathe the results? What do you think about the idea of a clothing purge, down to just the items you love, in general? Let me know!
When I moved last year from a place with a really awesome closet, I mean, my closet was so rad, to a place with a shall we say quaint closet, I was forced to thoroughly go through all of my clothing pieces and separate them in "keep", "giveaway" or "ditch" piles....and it really did feel good to get rid of those pieces I NEVER wore but somehow always felt the need to hoard!
ReplyDeleteAnywhooo, good luck, mama bear!
Fully support your move to a capsule wardrobe! While I can't say I've gotten there myself (dang Target clearance gets me every time), I made it my policy several years ago to only buy stuff I love. It really helps! And when I think of the additional sanity I'd gain by doing less laundry and having more room in my closet (namely for retired baby boy clothes that are WAY to cute to part with), it makes me want to pare down even more!
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