Drop It Like It's Haute!

In 2012 I am going to take a different approach to trying to curb monitoring my spending.  Here’s what I have tried in the past:

In 2009 my approach was to limit myself to one purchase of clothing or accessories each month.  That DID NOT, I repeat DID NOT, work!  I think that just the mere thought of not being able to make purchases in real-time probably made me want to make them even more.  PLUS, I didn’t set a dollar limit.  So, those once/month purchases (when I managed to make just one) often were “doosies!”  In retrospect I just throw my head back and laugh at myself over this one.

In 2010 my approach morphed into being “aware” of my shopping habits and focusing more on quality and use.  I thought that might help curb the urge to just buy “things”.  And, in hindsight, that approach worked pretty well.  I didn’t buy as much “stuff” that kinda sorta looked like what I really wanted, which is a good thing; though the various charitable organizations that previously were the recipients of those items may beg to differ…

In 2011, I apparently just tweaked my goal, which was to focus on quality over quantity in all things.  And, in fact, I think I did that quite well.  As I paid more attention to how things were made, how they felt, and how they draped, or held up over time, I really became more discerning.  Though I may have spent a bit more on individual items last year, upon review I believe I spent less overall and I am still pleased with what I bought!

For 2012 I have resolved to dispense with ideas of denying myself.  This year I am simply going to keep a diary and record the date, time, location, and the reason or rationale for my purchases.  Instead of focusing on what I buy, I am going to try to tune into why I buy (which may still occasionally be “because I can’t believe I found “IT” at that price.)  Then, I’ll go from there.

So, here we are two days into the new year, and likely not too surprisingly I am making my first entry!  It’s January 2, 2012 at 2:45 pm and I just bought this pair of brown heels online and I’m darn glad about it!  Oddly enough I have found it quite difficult to find black or brown heels without a lot of adornment, platforms, and all sorts of other madness!  And, this time the need is real.  I just last month snapped the heel on my go-to brown pumps while walking across a parking lot and sadly, they cannot be repaired; wouldn’t you know I had just had new heel caps and skids pads put on them! 

(For the record, I have given myself freedom to purchase black and brown shoes without hesitation so you may see lots of shoe entries.)

Let the games begin!  My pencil is sharp and the diary is large!  This ought to be interesting…