My summer wrap up - YouLookFab Forum

Even though it still hit 90F here yesterday (!), fall is on the way, so it's a good time for my summer round up. I've been trying to be more conscious of what I buy and what I wear and tracking it per season. This summer was disastrous in some ways and an improvement in others.

I continued to track my $ spent and keep to a budget, as I have since the beginning of the year. I switched to budgeting per season (actually per 'half-season' or cross-quarter) and this seems to be helping me conceptualize how to prioritize in spending my money. I am also working on spending less time shopping, which has been hard because it's a leisure time activity for me.

After we moved in July, I realized that I needed more shorts and casual outfits for really hot days. And then I proceeded to buy a *ton* of them. Some I returned but I kept more than I really needed. All fit my needs and will get worn, I just didn't need to get quite that many. I find that part of me wants to make decisions quickly and just take the tags off things instead of mulling forever, but part of me remembers the times that I've done that and really regretted it.

I also started tracking the specific items that came in throughout the season. In a loose way I tracked the numbers of stuff going out, as well. My late summer (August 1 to present) numbers: around 25 items out. (If I had tracked this in early summer I would have had a lot more items out, as I culled a lot while we were packing to move.)

Items in: 18 (5 shoes (1 gear, 1 that is going straight out again because they don't fit right, ugh), 7 tops, 1 sweater, 1 blazer, 2 pairs jeans, 1 pair pants, 1 pair capris, and one bag). This fits pretty well with what I actually needed to get or refresh this summer. And budgetwise it was pretty penny-pinching, by buying stuff at Twice with credits and other cost-saving measures, because the bag (a leather laptop bag to take to conferences etc.) was a fairly substantial chunk of my whole budget.

I also developed my list of what numbers of each item I wanted to aim for in my wardrobe. So far it's been working pretty well, and helps remind me to buy for my real life, not my fantasy life. So all and all an OK summer, with room for improvement. Fall plans forthcoming later.

11 years ago

rabbit

Veteran

Sounds like a wise analysis. I did the same thing you did with the shorts last winter when I started YLF, but for me it was leggings and tunic tops. It's not that I didn't like and need a few, but I ended up with too many and I wasn't interested in just wearing that silhouette.

I need to do the numbers of each item to aim for list. I've generally been going by CPW and consigning or donating older things that have very low wears or excitement, but that can get skewed too, just because the CPW is low doesn't mean I need that many tops for example. Did you come up with these numbers by analyzing your wear patterns?

I also budget, but doing a yearly budget hit my 'low-end range' number recently. Since then I've been mostly buying out of the consignment income, so trying to keep the overall amount from going up, but I'm sure that won't necessarily work throughout the winter and fall. Having a breakdown per season sounds like a good plan.

Also in the time=money front I hear you in that the time investment of shopping for fun is something I need to work on.

Anonymous

I'm definitely guilty of figuring out that I could use something, then going crazy with overbuying in that area. So I can totally relate to your shorts over-purchasing!

The bag sounds like a really good purchase, and I'm impressed that you managed to stick to a budget while fitting in one big thing like that. In general, it sounds like you're doing a good job figuring out what works for you.

fern

It doesn't sound disastrous, it sounds like you are in control of your wardrobe for the most part (nice work!).
The pitfalls are very familiar to me. I had to replenish shorts and t shirts in August, hopefully they will work as well next summer as they did to get me through the end of this one. It turns out I want to buy a lot in August because I'm still figuring out my summer wardrobe holes and all that fall stuff is starting to show up.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Rabbit, I kind of guesstimated my way toward my list based on what I was wearing, as well as what space I knew I had. I don't track CPW religiously because I don't track wear every day (although I probably should start). But like you're suggesting, when you buy secondhand the CPW gets really skewed. And I don't think aiming for the smallest possible CPW is always the best priority. I could have a super low CPW on everything if all I bought was three dollar tshirts from Walmart!

Aubergine, I do feel a bit like I'm starting to get a handle on things as far as what I need. Now to figure out how to balance that with my budget and my other goals...

Fern, I spent a lot of $$ on clothes earlier this summer. A lot. The difference compared to past years was, I tracked it all and after my frenzy faded I could calculate what I really needed, at least in some of the cases where I hadn't worn or taken the tags off. I ended up taking some stuff back to Nordstrom rack nearly a month after I'd bought them. Not sure if I should be proud of that or ashamed!

I know what you mean about August being a good month for wanting to buy a lot of stuff. I find that the end of seasons are often that way. The current season is still fresh in your mind so you want to fill holes, plus you want to get new stuff for the new season before it sells out. I need to replace my black sandals and I still don't know if should do it now before such things disappear or wait until next spring.

Lisa

A great analysis, thanks for sharing!

CocoLion

I haven't tracked the number of things going out. Great idea. (You would think I would have thought of that, since I have a goal of one in, one out.)

I'm another one who can relate to the over-filling of certain holes. I get so excited that I've discovered a real shopping need, that I go overboard.

unfrumped

Good analysis.
I also have to watch getting the mid-season fever to add to that season's wardrobe, sometimes too much and realize I don't need that much. The key is really recognizing my favorites that I'm happy to wear multiple times, and doing more one-in/one out.
I'm trying to organize more ahead of the next season coming up so my items will get a lot of wear--I've not been one to "get set" and line up an entire summer or winter wardrobe with large purchases ahead of time, so it's hard for me to think that way, and I also am fine with snacking on items throughout the year, but I'm learning more about how planning can help me get the most use out of my items. Also it can feel bad to buy that sweater at full price at the start of the season and see the price come down 6 weeks later--have to reach some kind of balance between being a savvy shopper for sale items and items that are just right at the time you need them, wear them a lot and don't look back.

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