Day 1

I read an article today about the 12 modern day "needs" that drain our bank accounts.  One of them was clothes!  Aren't clothes one of the basic necessities?  You know... food, water, shelter, all that?  But the author pointed out that we mostly own and buy clothes that we don't NEED, and how often do you wear out your clothes anyway?  The article also quoted a financial expert saying that most Americans could last a year without buying any new clothes.

Hm.  That bit got me thinking.  How long could I last without buying clothes?  Could I last a YEAR??  I keep pretty close tabs on my finances, so I went back and did some calculating.  In a year, I spent almost $2,500 on clothes, shoes and accessories.  That doesn't seem THAT bad, but think of what I could do with an extra $2,500: pad my retirement savings, upgrade my cell phone, buy an actual sofa and throw out this God-awful futon...  So, I am accepting the challenge.  No new clothes, no new shoes, no new handbags, jewelry or sunglasses.

Sigh... I am already fantasizing about the wardrobe updates I had been planning.