Musings #3: The budget process

Part 3 of wardrobe and shopping analysis—more aligned with the budget side.

I have had the interesting issue of having to think more about budget and CPW. I don’t follow any sort of rigid CPW rule and have come to terms that CPW doesn’t translate evenly—it can be important to have a few items that will not truly return the investment in actual CPW, and there will be items that are down to pennies. All noted before by other YLF’ers. But, I know I feel bad if there is not some reasonable amount of correlation between cost and utilii, and I like to feel I’m wearing my stuff.

Still, it’s interesting to me to identify where certain breakpoints would be and often it just takes a simple question of how & where I would wear something.

For example, for any pair of shoes that are truly comfortable and that go with my work trousers, I will typically wear, or could wear, 1-2 x per week for 2-3 years, if the style is not about to become extinct. (Theoretically I could wear daily, but I just don’t.) So any such shoe or boot in the..? $100-300+ range is a good value, but if I accumulate too many different styles or colors, just because I “love” them, or for variety, then that falls apart, because any one pair stays on the shelf longer. Finally, aha, I see that while I’ve always loved shoes, it’s in my best interests to try to phase out some of the extra ones through purging or attrition, and don’t “seek” too aggressively (because you know you may find something) . (Here’s where you chuckle and say, good luck with that !) but focus on replacement/style upgrade..

Almost the exact same math applies to any pair of true workhorse work pants—still struggling with style upgrades and relying a lot on my AT tropical wool widies meanwhile, but I can say that almost every pair I’ve owned gets worn weekly or biweekly for say 2 years and so the key for a replacement is, does this feel like something I’d wear every week except for letting breathe/dryclean/fashion rotation? And then I can see I need fewer total, if each pair fits well and goes with its selection of tops and shoes.

For many other items, the math gets very murky and if I have too many of an item, the return on the investment may be very low. This where I’m trying to hone my style so that I have that “happiness 10” factor for a more limited number of outfits and don’t feel I need to search for something better. Wear them to multiple events and yes, rotate some new things in but more as replacements, not expansion.

For example, I’ve accumulated a number of clutch handbags in the past year or so, and while each one seemed important at the time, seemed to “go” with various outfits, I haven’t had a great strategy for this capsule, and it’s too big for my needs, since I use one maybe once a week, and I STILL have that feeling as though with many outfits I need something just a bit different. I can see I should go more solids and basics and try to think more clearly about what contrasts with an outfit. Also need to be less particular—sure, there is always just the perfect size, color, print around the corner but I should do a capsule of black, cream, metallic, pink, snake or something and stop. They are fun, but do not really change my wardrobe landscape enough to justify the cost and storage—clutch-hoarding. So a lesson in restraint and budgeting needs to take hold.

I have kept records of purchases over the past year or 2, and my goal is to cut that in about half—kind of via a combination of number of items and $$ costs. I admit that I appear to “want” many things and to act on a fair number of them. So my next is to create my shopping list for Groups 1, 2 and 3 by actually starting with the worst-case scenario --make a “what if” list that deals with, what if I WANT as many things as seems possible, as follows:

What if I bought each year: new winter coat or trench; multiple jackets; x number of handbags; x number of shoes; Y number of tops; z number of necklaces and scarves—and so on. I would base it on what seem to be my foibles and wants, plus items that wear out annually, plus what I did in the past year or 2, when I have been exploring and expanding style. Sort of actually put that down on paper, and the approximate cost. I believe that is more than I need for this phase now, but will sort of hit myself in the head with it. Then work backwards and say, wait, which of these things are easiest and most realistic to do without, & which offer the most potential for style evolution--which types of items DID do that in the past year or 2, as well as which MIGHT, based on new directions.

I need to really believe in the good fairy of fashion—that fun and fab are around every corner, and there’ll be more tomorrow. For awhile I felt as though it were really hard to find fun stuff that could look good, because I wasn’t being as open and adventurous, or planning outfits. So I had a negative view—I better buy this now because I probably won’t find something as good. Now I know that’s not true. And I'm more willing to "make do" in some areas, since I'm having more fun more of the time overall. Not every day has to be a 10. I probably will do a combination of shopping-not buying( fashion research!), and not looking, because my wait & see discipline is not as strong when I’m actually holding that top or clutch or whatever, along with more intentional shopping.

Sorry these have been so long, but it helped me to write down my delayed new year's analysis/strategy since I had been focused on the wedding.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It does help to write it all down, doesn't it? It clarifies things.

I like your idea of writing down what you imagine you might need or want per season and then working backwards, mindful of what you already have, crossing off the things that you actually do not need this season. That will allow you to concentrate on whatever is leftover.

I did something similar, I think. My first fall/ winter on YLF I concentrated on buying the big ticket high-need items -- partly because at that time I had a very limited budget, and also partly because the need really was there -- and I found the items to fit the holes. So -- two winter coats. Booties. A few pairs of jeans -- various silhouettes.

This year I was able to focus on other items -- jackets, shirts, some non-jean trousers, etc.

Next year, it will likely be something else!

rachylou

This is great, unfrumped. Putting it in my faves list so I can come back and study it. It's true about having too much of something you love, individual items may not get enough love. I have to think about that with my sweatshirt / sweater collection. And also booties.

Ingunn

Very inspiring, Unfrumped! Thanks for taking time to write this down. I hear you on having too much of the good things. I don't like that, either. I will fav this and come back again for a more thorough read.

unfrumped

Sort of tangential, as is more on shopping than budgeting, except as to budgeting time & energy, which to me are related, I can envision a shopping day in which I say to self, you may only try on pants. You may try on all the pants in the whole town, but only pants. Because it's easy to find great clutches and wraps and scarves that look lovely, but they are not able to "carry" my daily outfits, the way they might for how some others dress.

That's right. I do exactly that. I tell myself: "Only summer tops." And that is all. Obviously, if the absolute perfect, long-sought skirt showed up I would make an exception, but it would have to be truly perfect, and truly something long-sought. Not just something that caught my fancy.

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