I went to the mall yesterday and didn’t buy anything.
I know, it’s shocking. I can hardly believe it myself. But I emerged from the Great Grey Way with a grand total of zero dollars having been spent. I didn’t even buy a Diet Coke.
You might be asking yourself, “How is this possible? It’s Christmas, beautiful things are everywhere! With gift wrapping! And even if she didn’t purchase for herself, surely there are others on her list in need of commercial demonstrations of love!”
All of these things are true, and I honestly ventured out with the intention of snagging a sale item or two before my holiday schedule swallows all shopping time. And yet…
As I wandered from store to store perusing plentiful displays of sequined, beaded, and bedazzled dresses, sweaters, bracelets and shoes it all started to look a bit … tawdry. It was way way too much. Even in Nordstrom, my haven from the sale-slums I usually inhabit, I found myself on ornamental overload. How many embellishments does one outfit need before you start to look like a walking kaleidoscope?
The other problem I kept having was that my own damn philosophy kept echoing in my head: One’s closet should reflect their discerning taste, and pieces should occupy a single space in their aesthetic. Translation: don’t buy the same thing over and over again. You get one. Wear it.
Thus, I simply couldn’t justify buying another cute camisole. I still have the tags on one I bought during my hooray-I’m-employed-again binge. Nor could I bring myself to try on one of the thousand of adorable party dresses. I already bought my designated dress (It’s an amazing black and white Michael Koors cocktail dress I scavenged from Marshalls last month). It would be wrong to upstage it before it’s even had its debut.
The other reason I practiced some level of restraint (for once) is because I’m currently in the midst of a financial exercise, and based on yesterdays results, I’m going to recommend it to anyone trying to save themselves from, well, themselves.
You see, I have a small bit of credit card debt, amassed not from the closet, but from being self sufficient throughout college and therefore largely dependent on the kindness of creditors. As a now functional adult, I am trying to eliminate this, but it’s hard for me as it requires throwing money at a problem that remains largely intangible.
So I made it tangible. I inventoried everything in my closet, starting with the newest purchases, and stacked them up against the amount of money I owe. Every month, as I make a payment, I tell myself I am ‘buying’ one of the items from the list. It makes it a lot more fun to pay one’s bill, and a lot harder to buy new sunglasses when I have told myself that I do not yet ‘own’ the ones I’m wearing. I’m sure any and all finance people are rolling their eyes, but as someone not traditionally wired to be economical, this system has been working well for me.
As I said, I went to the mall yesterday and didn’t buy anything.
