The Fighting Foreclosure Closet

I've got a number of posts brewing about my monthly goals and budgets, both of which have been a touch tough lately, but I thought I would start out the week with something positive. I wrote about a month ago about trying to find a frugal way to increase my wardrobe for spring. I wanted to write that my efforts have been successful!

As I mentioned in the other post, there wasn't a lot of extra money in the Fighting Foreclosure budget for clothing for spring and summer, but I was having a hard time figuring out what to wear. One of the ways I have fought this problem in the past is by totally cleaning out my closet and then hanging clothing together in outfits. Well, I haven't had time in the last month to do that much work on my closet, but I did find a way to make things work...

The first thing I did was move all the warm sweaters up to the high shelves and get out some of spring and summer clothing I had packed away last fall. Then using a combination of those and other all-season items, I put together 4 work outfits that were all appropriate for spring. Four outfits equals one work week for me, since Fridays are a casual jean day. From then on, my plan was simple - each night when I was getting ready for bed I would put together another outfit or two and add them to the end of the closet rod. I did the same thing when I was putting laundry away - I would hang some items in their regular places, but take others and create outfits and add them to the line up. Within short order I had over 16 outfits (which is one month of clothing) lined up and ready to go. By continuing to do this each evening, I always know I have plenty of clothing for work. Here are the advantages I have found in pre-planning my outfits:

1. I don't have any urge to shop. When spring first hit in early May I so sick of what was in my closet I was ready to go on a shopping frenzy. Instead, by having several weeks worth of clothing at the ready I don't feel the need to shop.

2. I come up with new outfits. When I am tired in the morning, I have a tendency to just grab whatever is comfy, clean and relatively wrinkle free. It tends to be the same old standbys, in the same old combinations, over and over and over. This way I am wearing different things and trying a favorite pair of slacks with a blouse I don't usually wear, for example, and coming up with some great "new looks" with clothing I already own.

3. More time in the morning. I can pretty much "grab and go" in the morning without having to think about what to wear. All I have to chose is shoes and jewelry.

4. Less wear on my clothes. With my old habit of wearing the same things over and over, I'm putting all the wear on a few items while others sit, practically unworn. Now instead of wearing a favorite skirt once a week, I might be wearing it once every 3 weeks - and other lesser worn items are getting used.

5. I like the way I look. Even the old standards get boring and dull after awhile. New clothes - even if it is just rearranging things I already have, makes me feel good about how I look.

6. It soothes several little stresses. Not having money to buy clothing is stressful. Wanting to look professional, but not feeling good about your appearance is stressful. Not having enough time in the morning is stressful. Okay, none of these are big worries, but I am solving them in an easy way and making my life just a little bit less hectic - and besides, it is fun! I love fashion - when I have time for it. I am in a much better frame of mind for being creative in the evening before going to bed than I am in the morning.

I am glad I was able to come up with a solution, because getting nine hundred next month is going to be hard work!



Photo by: ooh_food