Accountability

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December Accountability Update

It’s time for my final monthly accountability update for 2013.  As long-term readers know, I’ve committed to posting regular accountability updates as a way of keeping myself honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping goals.  Included within these posts are what came into and left my closet during a given month, what I wore, and how I did with my shopping budget and rules.

Honesty and Accountability

Soon I will be posting a more comprehensive report for 2013 as a whole, but today’s post covers just the month of December.  I plan to continue these accountability updates during 2014 and for as long as I need them.  I’ve definitely found it helpful to share the good, the bad, and the ugly truth with you as I progress along my recovering shopaholic journey. I don’t always look forward to writing these posts, especially when I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, but what’s good for us isn’t always pleasant and can even be painful at times. Continue reading →

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A Winter Wardrobe “Benchwarmer” Update

In my last post, I shared my November Accountability Update, including what came into my closet, what left, what I wore, and my clothing budget status.  I had intended to include an update on my “wardrobe benchwarmer” project as well, but the post was already more than long enough!  Instead, I opted to do my benchwarmer update separately, so that’s the topic of today’s post.  This way I can also go into the level of detail and statistics that my “inner nerd” enjoys and which many of you appreciate.  Win, win, I say!

Benchwarmers

Not all “bench warmers” are as cute as these guys!

Continue reading →

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November Accountability Update

We’re now knee-deep into the holiday season and there are only a few weeks left in the year.  It’s hard to believe this blog is almost a year old!   It’s time for another accountability update, this time for November.  For my newer readers, I’ve committed to post on a monthly basis about what left my closet, what came in, and how I’m doing with my clothing budget and shopping rules for the year.  I intend to continue doing these accountability posts in 2014, as they help to keep me honest and on track for fulfilling my goals.

Shopping Accountability Updates

What Left My Closet

Let’s dive right in, beginning with what left my closet last month.  During November, I purged 13 items from my wardrobe.  Five of these items were returned to the place of purchase, while the remaining eight pieces were either consigned or donated to charity. Continue reading →

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October Accountability Update

With one more month in the history books, it’s time for another accountability update.  For my newer readers, I’ve committed to post on a monthly basis about what left my closet, what came in, and how I’m doing with my clothing budget and shopping rules for the year.  These posts help to keep me honest and on track for fulfilling my goals for 2013 and beyond.

Shopping Accountability Updates

Even though most of you don’t have blogs, I highly recommend that you conduct some sort of regular review (if not monthly, than at least quarterly) of your wardrobe in-flow and out-flow and how much you’re spending on clothing and related purchases.  Although I’ve engaged in wardrobe tracking for almost three years and clothing expenditure tracking for nearly eleven years, the reviews I’ve been doing this year have been even more enlightening.  For one, I’m usually surprised at how many new pieces have entered my closet each month, even during the months when I believe I’ve shopped very little. Continue reading →

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Wardrobe “Benchwarmers” Past and Future

I’ve written several posts on the concept of “wardrobe benchwarmers,” my term for closet pieces that were worn only once or not at all during a given year (read more here).  Sadly, I had 146 wardrobe benchwarmers for 2012 (125 garments and 21 pairs of shoes), which was close to half of my wardrobe!  With my wardrobe benchwarmer project, I vowed to wear and evaluate all 146 benchwarmers this year and either integrate them into regular closet rotation or pass them on to someone else who might love and wear them.

Excellent Progress But…

I’ve made excellent progress on dealing with my wardrobe benchwarmers over the course of this year.  As of the end of August, I had consigned or donated roughly two-thirds of them and had worn and evaluated all but 17 of the remaining items.  I felt pretty proud of myself, but then something dawned on me…

I’ve been so focused on dealing with my 2012 benchwarmers that I didn’t stop to consider my potential 2013 benchwarmers!

Since there is only one quarter left in the year, I decided to take some time to look at my wardrobe benchwarmers past and, perhaps, future.  My fellow data nerds out there will love this post, as I include lots of numbers!  But I hope the more right-brained of the group will also stay tuned, as I include photos and useful insights about my wardrobe that can also be applied to managing your closet. Continue reading →