Feb 17
Sarah F

All right ladies, thank you for all of your votes on our last poll! It looks like the majority of dieters buy their bra’s at department stores and specialty retailers. Not surprising, how can we resist when Victoria’s Secret sends out those handy coupons every couple months…lesson learned once they get you in, you’re never getting out without a little pink bag in hand and a lot less in the bank account! So now that we’ve established where some of this purchasing is happening, here at TGAAD we’re curious as to how you are making your purchases these days. The terrible question we hear time and time again: ”Will that be debit or credit miss?…umm could it be free? Nope ok, it was worth a shot!” Part of my financial management plan has always been to only purchase clothing on debit as to avoid those impulsive spending sprees prompted by various circumstances such as: the winter blues, a bad day, oh a sunny day in February I should probably buy some shorts to get prepared for all of the upcoming sunny warm days in Seattle, half birthday gift from myself to myself (I’m really so thoughtful), etc… we’ve all been there beforecredit-card! So we come to our newest poll: What method of payment do you typically use to purchase clothing? Enjoy!

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Feb 17
Jennifer

I signed myself up for this diet a few months ago, and yet never committed enough to write or actually keep track of my clothing spending habits. As of today I was offered my first professional, full-time faculty position at a university and it’s time to get serious. I need to use this opportunity to save money for things I will actually use (for example, a dwelling I can call my own!) instead of clothes that sit in a closet for 9 months, store tags still attached.

So. Congratulations to me, and a double good luck. . . .

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Feb 09

Opening the mail yesterday I got the usual: bills; banking stuff; pre-approved credit card applications etc… however, I did not expect to be faced with 100% temptation. COACH sent me this [ever-so-slightly-evil] promotional deal. “Our Gift to YOU!! Use this $100 card toward your purchase of $300 or more”

Whaaaaattt?!?! For realsies? Hmm… Well, I do really need a new purse. I mean, not now, but sometime in my life I will probably need another one so why not get a head of the game? OMG, this MUST be a sign! This is the heavenly purse gods telling me themselves that I need to buy a purse! A $600 purse!!!! And I’ll get $100 off! Yesssss! It’s the deal of the century! This is totally a one off; I’ll never see this kind of deal again. Ever. Everrrrr…! Aghhh!! I need purse. Must get purse:

Luckily for me, I have a completely normal and rational boyfriend. He flat out told me “NO don’t do it” and something like “What do you need a $600 purse for and $600 is a lot of money for a purse…blah, blah, blah” To which I quietly replied, “But… but I’d love it forever and it would last a lifetime; so the cost per wear would be incredibly low.” As I said those words, I realized that even I couldn’t convince myself that this was true. I know I don’t need it; I probably wouldn’t even use it that often. More so, I would most likely lose it, or have someone steal it from me.

So if you’re interested, have I got a deal for you! If you want this $100 off $300’s spent, message me and I’ll give it to you for $50 bucks. Don’t worry; you’re still getting a GREAT DEAL!!

What’s the moral of the story? Spending $300 to get $100 off is NOT a deal. You’re NOT saving money and you’re still spending $200 [or more] to get that so-called “deal”. Common sense can be so difficult sometimes…

xoxo $ixHundredDollar purse girl.

For previous post, please check out Naked Susie; a year without [new] clothes.

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Feb 09
Sally Bjornsen

LadyDianaFlowersI have a friend who judges women on whether or not they remember where they were when Lady Di died.  She uses this as a barometer for what kind of woman you are.  If you can’t remember or don’t care my friend would instantly dismiss you as “not her kind of girl.”

Well I can take that concept a step further…I know what I was wearing when Lady Di died—a pair of burnt orange Gap jeans, a gray short sleeved t-shirt and a pair of ratty Nike Pegasus shoes, sans socks.  I was probably wearing a bad bra too; I don’t remember the brand.  Underwear? Who knows?  I had been painting my office and made a quick trip to the paint store when I heard the news.  I wish I had been more appropriately dressed for the occasion.  It was Lady Di after all.

I know it’s silly and probably a giant brain drain but like songs from the 70s I remember almost every important event in my life by the outfit I wore.  I am not just talking about clothes I wore in pictures; I am talking about clothes that I wore to my first gyno appt., my first kiss, and my first day of third grade.  The list goes on and on, it’s kind of embarrassing.

I also have a list in my brain of my top ten outfits of a lifetime.  It starts with an ensemble from third grade.  A knit pant suit with yellow and white horizontal striped bell bottoms (who knew that was ever a good look) and a solid yellow knit tunic.  And then there was the pair of footless black leggings paired with a fuchsia shaker sweater that went down to my knees—In retrospect I looked like The Big Fig Newton with a ratty perm.  Then there was the Rayon black blazer from The Limited that I wore with pleated Seattle Blues acid washed jeans, The Nicole Miller aqua and black print flapper dress with the long waist (it looked hideous on me but I loved the print).

I won’t bore you with the rest of my top ten, but here’s my point.  Apparel makes my world-go-round.  It’s part of who I am, how I approach the world and how I organize my mind.  Weird, and quite possibly shallow, I know.  Just think of all the world’s problems that have been left unsolved simply because my brain is filled with memories of polyester and wool. But, oh well, that’s me.

For the record, as I write this I am wearing a J. Crew heather gray long sleeved cotton t-shirt, a pair of strategically ripped jeans by Big Star, my Frye engineer boots with Hue stripped socks, a pair of Calvin Klein undies and a flesh colored Natori bra.

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Feb 03

I meant to do this before I started the diet but kept forgetting..

So, I’ve just finished tallying up the amount I’ve spent on clothing, shoes & accessories for the past year. I’ve included totals from my bank account and my VISA. I’m completely SHOCKED at the amount I have spent [nearly totaling 10K] in the last 12 months. It might not seem like a lot of money to some, but to me it’s insane! That’s over $800/month that could have been going straight into my neglected savings account. But apparently, I decided at the time that it would be a much better idea to go out and buy “something new”.

Ugh…this news makes me nauseous. The worst part is; I can’t even really remember what I’ve bought! I’m sure I’ve bought some pretty dresses and such, but that money could have been put somewhere else and I really wish I had done this diet sooner.

Also, what really bothers me is I genuinely thought I was doing really well. Tapping away at my little budget…thinking I had it all together. But bank statements don’t lie. In this case I kind of wish they did though.

At least I now know, and that’s all that matters. This new found knowledge will only reinforce my good shopping behavior and I will try my best to not let it get the better of me. Learning from my mistakes; Check! Not spending money on useless items; Check! Nothing but good vibrations and happy thoughts; Check, Check! Huzzah! Starting …………………………………………………………….NOW!

Happy Not a Shopaholic Day!!!!

For previous entries, check out http://nakedsusie.blogspot.com [don’t worry, its family friendly ;) ]

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Jan 27
Sarah F

I never claimed to be “normal”, that being said I will go into a brief history on my love of books. For the first seven years of my childhood we did not have tv, so I spent hours of my life scanning through pages of the books which brought me worlds away from my boring reality. I don’t want to brag, but I did win an award in elementary school for having read for the most hours than any other kid in my school (granted I did go to a small school). I can often become lost for hours in book stores, perched against shelves reading my way through countless books and magazines (the travel section is a dangerous place for me, thank you Anthony Bourdain). When updating the Reading Club books for TGAAD, I have a difficult time choosing just a couple books at a time because of the countless great books out there about shopping, fashion, and money saving tips. I’ve narrowed it down to just a couple as to not overwhelm anyone out there. The first new book I’ve added to our list is Cinderella Ate my Daughter by Peggy Orenstein, the book is a fascinating discussion of the princess culture our daughters are being brought up in and a questioning of how to best deal with this without rearing a daughter who will become the next participant on You’re Cut Off (VH1 reality show about very spoiled girls). The second book added to our list is Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict by Avis Cardella, which gives us an account of the authors addiction to shopping as well as her emotional connection to purchasing, especially after experiencing the loss of her mother. So read away and enjoy!

My second topic of discussion today is that I realized I have been neglecting our conscious shopping page and thought it was perhaps best to take a moment to think about our male counterparts and give them a little help when it comes to shopping. So I’ve added a new and fabulous clothing company named Longshot Apparel to our list of conscious clothing brands! The brand is made for the tall fit man, fabrics woven in Italy, handmade in the USA! This might be a great help to some of you who still have nothing for your significant other for our upcoming Valentines Day (singles awareness day to some of us), or to pass along to that guy who just can’t ever seem to find a properly fitting shirt, because lets face it Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome is not supposed to be wearing high water jeans or a shirt that it looks like it was borrowed from his old college roommate who’s appears to be a foot shorter than him.

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Jan 23
Helga

It is post -holiday blues time for me. But that is no excuse for my poor showing in this important endeavor. I joined the GAAD right before Christmas and since then I have had 3 slip-ups. They all occured at the same place and under similar conditions. Maybe I can learn something by examining what led to breaking my commitment. The place: my favorite discount store. A place where designer clothes are discounted 70 to 90%. A hodge-podge of exquisite things marked down so much as to be a “steal”, and ugly, out-of-date, or slightly (or mightily) damaged monstrosities that no one would be caught dead in. I love “the hunt” – the excitement I feel looking through racks and racks of clothes looking for “the deal”. During the dead of winter there is still a line outside the store of avid shoppers waiting to get in. When I get near I feel my heart beating faster. I even got in a car accident months ago right in front of the store. I was driving recklessly while trying to find a parking spot. Every shopper knows the pitfalls of this kind of shopping. Overly excited, I have purchased clothes I have never worn, or things that do not work with my lifestyle. Designer labels(especially French and Italian) can make me choose an ill-fitting or unbecoming garment just because I think it must be fabulous. When I see that I have saved $1,259.00 (they print this out on my receipt) I feel vindicated. 90% off!  No bargain if it sits in my closet and is never worn. I always tell myself  that I can sell it on eBay if I don’t wear it, but I always end up losing time and money. It’ a self-defeating habit that I must break. Yet whenever I am in the vicinity of this particular store I find myself on auto-pilot and before I can talk myself down I am inside. Once in, I feel I have to purchase something or the trip was “a waste”. The rationalizations and excuses I make are legendary.

  So, in one month I have spent $120 despite the fact that I do not need anything except a savings account. I have purchased 2 sweaters (one of which I will never wear), 2 t-shirt dresses (practical), and a summer dress(cute but impractical).

I am a psychologist and supposedly a mature woman. I should understand an addictive behavior when I engage in one, and be able to do something about it. Alas, I have not been successful. Any ideas?

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Jan 21

I have this tradition: Every year on my birthday, I like to treat myself to a little present. And why shouldn’t I? I get up and go to work every day, be as good a person as I can be, I do my best to be eco-conscious, feed my dog, keep up with current events, floss my teeth on a regular basis…so I believe that as an outstanding citizen of the world [that’s right, I went there. I can be outstanding!] I should at least be able to buy myself something on my birthday. I certainly don’t expect anybody else to buy me a present. Don’t get me wrong – I love gifts, and as grateful as I am – for some reason I cringe at the idea of other people buying me things. I don’t know why, but having to open a gift in front of someone makes me feel SO awkward. Does anyone else share this odd behavior?

Anyhow, back to presents.

Right, so every year I like to buy myself a little gift.. Sometimes it’s expensive, sometimes it’s not. But it’s absolutely, 100%, pure self indulgent. I like to think of it as buying little pieces of luxury. If it makes me feel like the most beautiful person, then I’ve succeeded. [Not that I need nice things to make me feel beautiful, but you know what I mean.] It’s just nice to have nice things, whether it was $10 or $100. I figure, if you’re going to love it now & love it in 10 years from now, then why not? Agreed?

I guess if I’m being really honest with myself; I don’t need anything per se. BUT it’s my birthday, and I’ve already told the boyfriend NOT to buy me anything….and there are these wonderful little boots made by Quoddy® that would last a lifetime and they would look fantastic with the perfect skinny jeans and I know they’re expensive, but they would last a LIFETIME PEOPLE!!!!!…………………Really, a lifetime. I checked. They replace the soles if they ever get worn out. Which is awesome!

I understand TGAAD is what you make of it, and technically shoes are acceptable… However, the more I think about it, the more I’m swayed towards the conclusion of not buying them. They are a wee bit pricy and besides that, I can’t seem to shake this enormous cloud of guilt hovering over me as I contemplate the idea of spending money. Oh well. I shouldn’t be buying boots anyway, I need to save up for bigger, more important things… and trying to justify a $400 pair of boots won’t help me get there any quicker. Hmmph…I think I’ve just talked myself out of it. Hooray!!! Hi5’s all around!! Thank goodness my birthday isn’t for another 3 months! Whew!

What is everyone else’s take on buying yourself birthday presents while on TGAAD?

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Jan 21
Angela D

Hi all – I just signed on for the Apparel Diet yesterday. A friend and I did our own version of this last year without knowing about this group. We both went about six or seven months before breaking. We had included shoes in our diet, and my turquoise Converse All Stars that I wore almost every day just fell apart. I needed to replace those, and from there it was  just one thing after another. Then I discovered the Flax line of clothing that is perfect for humid Houston summers and I ebayed the heck out of that stuff. Ouch.

I’m here partly because I have more clothes than I need and I need to take control of the overflow of stuff, but mostly I want to curb the spending and save money. My boyfriend and I both work for the State, and right now the State is making major budget cuts. I have been chipping away at my savings recently to pay down my student loans and am on track to pay those off by the end of 2011. But, if I cut out buying clothes and shoes for a while, I can pay off the loans and build my emergency fund back up at the same time. Also, if salary cuts  and furlough days go into effect, it won’t hurt so much if I’m not spending so much.

I’m in a much better place with my wardrobe than I was last year at this time when we tried our own apparel diet. At that time I had one pair of jeans, two pairs of pants, a couple of skirts and dresses, and I got so tired of wearing the same things over and over again. I think I can do this and I’m looking forward to doing it with this group!

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Jan 16
Grace

My friend Susannah posed this question to me a few weeks ago: Is there something else that could give you the high you get from a new article of clothing? At the time, the best answer I could muster was, hmm… let’s see…there must be something… let me get back to you…

 

Well, my answer is a resounding YES.

 

For me, writing is the thing that makes me feel like I’m doing what I was put on this earth to do. Especially, when it is actually read by other people and generates a meaningful disussion. This week, Amy Chua’s controversial Wall Street Journal essay, “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” set off a firestorm on of debate about Chinese parenting. Like any good Asian American blogger, I followed the issue closely, even reading  Chua’s memoir and writing several pieces about it.  I was too busy to even think about shopping. And you know what? The ensuing dialogue was more satisfying than any new garment could ever be.

 

However, the writing life is also riddled with pitfalls. For every exhilirating moment, there are also dozens of times when the muse is mum, nobody reads my blog, or I receive a deflating rejection letter from a publication. That is why writing and shopping have become entangled in my life. As opposed to the sometimes soul-questioning, start-and-stop process of writing, refining, editing — shopping provides immediate gratification. I cannot tell you how many mornings I have spent in front of the computer, for seemingly little payoff and my mouse drifts over to some shopping website for immediate, tangible rewards.

 

They say identifying the problem is the first step toward solving it.

 

What gives you an endorphin rush? What is most satisfying to you? And what you turn to for an immediate thrill?

A Year (Almost) Without Shopping

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