How to Go On a Shopping Diet!

Anybody that knows me, reads my blog or follows me on facebook or instagram knows that I LOVE TO SHOP!! I love pretty new clothes, and fun new outfits, and shiny new catalogs and pretty shoes and handbags. But my closet had become so crammed that I literally couldn’t find anything! And it just stressed me out. Stress isn’t fun. And one thing this girl does not need is more stress in my life. So I decided in January to go on a Shopping Diet. And I’m really enjoying it! I’m kind of figuring it out as I go along, but so far it’s working, so I thought I’d share some of my tips, in case you’d like to go on a Shopping Diet too…

• Purge your closet.- This sounds counter intuitive, but trust me, you need to do this before you begin!

*Completely empty your closet. OUCH. I mean empty. So empty you can see the floor and all the dust bunnies hiding along the baseboards. (go ahead and vacuum, you’ll feel better about yourself)

*Time to pull out your inner Marie Kondo, and go over each item, piece by piece, separating into keep, donate and sell. Seriously think about those items you intend to keep. Will you really wear it? Don’t just keep something because it’s cute, or you think it’s pretty. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Move on and let it go!

*Take advantage of resale and consignment shops and services. I use ThredUp, and also a local consignment shops for my better things. It’s nice to get a little spending cash or credit for something I no longer enjoy!

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• Take Inventory and Organize

*Separate your pieces by season. I have a spring/summer closet and a fall/winter closet. My closet is tiny, but one of the joys of being an empty nester is that I have a spare closet I can use to swap my seasonal clothes in and out of. Thank goodness!

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• Merchandise the Closet

*Time to start placing everything back into the closet. This part is fun! Since you’re essentially going to be shopping your closet, you may as well go ahead and merchandise and organize it so it’s easy to shop. This will also help you to see what you may need to purchase in the future.

*Sort your closet by color and let each color merge into the next. Whites, beiges/tans, pinks, reds, purples, blues, blacks, greys etc…If a piece is patterned or floral, I simply use the main color as the color I’ll work it into. I put sleeveless and short sleeves on the left and work into ¾ length sleeves then long sleeves. Color sort your pants, sweaters and jackets the same. You’ll be so happy you did this step! My closet is tiny and I’m always playing with a good layout, but this basic plan works best for me. It really helps me find things!

• Shop Strategically

*Now that the closet is purged and organized you can see what you really need. For instance, I’m in need of basic tees – long and short sleeved to wear with my suit jackets and cardigans. Seems like I have tons of patterned tops, but not nearly enough basics. Make a list on your phone, so when you happen to be out, you can be on the lookout for those items, and not get distracted by all the shiny new stuff you just don’t need!

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• Shop Thrift Stores, Consignment Shops, Discount Stores and Sales

My former strategy was: if it looks cute and it fits I’ll buy it! Yikes! My new strategy is: if it’s not on sale or dirt cheap, and if it’s not on my “need” list,  I’m not getting it! This is the hardest part of my shopping diet! I’m a splurger! I have the self control of one of those little test mice furiously running around the maze for cheese. Give me all the cheese! I’ve found that just like a new eating plan, my new shopping plan gets easier the longer I’m on it. And it’s fun to challenge myself to keep to my plan. TJMaxx is my new favorite store, as well as ThredUp and a couple of local thrift shops.

Here’s a few outfits I’ve put together from my Shopping Diet this month:

All of these outfits, except for the heart tee-shirt, are either from my closet, TJMaxx, or thrift store finds. I’m proud that I’ve made this work and am meeting my goal of simplifying the closet and saving money. Especially the saving money part! Would you like to join me on my shopping diet? I post my outfits on Instagram almost daily. You can do the same and use the hashtag #shoppingdiet. By creating a photo journal of what you wear each day, it will help you plan your outfits later on. Join the fun!

Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate your support. Feel free to share any of your Shopping Diet tips! I’d love to hear from you!