In this newsletter, I’m revealing my actual budget, explaining why on earth I’m doing this, sharing my strategy and the struggles I’m already anticipating.
I have for years now set aside $300 per month into a savings account from which all clothing for myself and my husband must be funded. I also allow myself one splurge (up to $2k) at bonus time. I purge relentlessly. And I have a wardrobe I truly love so much I actually wrote a Reddit about it!
For me the process of putting money into a dedicated account forced really intentional choices and ironically led to me buying fewer, more expensive things over time.
Honestly naming a budget sounds better than limiting number of items bought! Or maybe it's worse because it's harder 🤔 I'll need to sleep on this as I planned to just limit myself to 12 items this year but I really like the steps you've laid out. PS would love a brussels guide (emphasis on secondhand shopping ofc) one day!
Thank you so much for your message, Ariana! I think limiting yourself to 12 items is super hard as well! I guess it depends on your goals and the reason why you’re doing this. You could buy 12 Lisa Yang cardigans and end up losing 10k, so to speak. So if saving money is your main goal, putting an exact budget can be useful. On the other hand, it’s easy to stick to a budget if you’re only buying fast fashion, which is something most of us aren’t after I think. So I also like the 12 items approach. And for sure, the Brussels guide will happen at some point!!! ❤️
I’ve thought about doing this too and this is a good push. You should try Future Reference to track your fashion purchases and spending. I baselined by 2024 spending using the 2024 Wrapped feature and realized spent way more than I thought I did. Determined to do less than that in 2025.
I have for years now set aside $300 per month into a savings account from which all clothing for myself and my husband must be funded. I also allow myself one splurge (up to $2k) at bonus time. I purge relentlessly. And I have a wardrobe I truly love so much I actually wrote a Reddit about it!
For me the process of putting money into a dedicated account forced really intentional choices and ironically led to me buying fewer, more expensive things over time.
https://www.reddit.com/r/capsulewardrobe/s/vLp3jwwjz5
Honestly naming a budget sounds better than limiting number of items bought! Or maybe it's worse because it's harder 🤔 I'll need to sleep on this as I planned to just limit myself to 12 items this year but I really like the steps you've laid out. PS would love a brussels guide (emphasis on secondhand shopping ofc) one day!
Thank you so much for your message, Ariana! I think limiting yourself to 12 items is super hard as well! I guess it depends on your goals and the reason why you’re doing this. You could buy 12 Lisa Yang cardigans and end up losing 10k, so to speak. So if saving money is your main goal, putting an exact budget can be useful. On the other hand, it’s easy to stick to a budget if you’re only buying fast fashion, which is something most of us aren’t after I think. So I also like the 12 items approach. And for sure, the Brussels guide will happen at some point!!! ❤️
I’ve thought about doing this too and this is a good push. You should try Future Reference to track your fashion purchases and spending. I baselined by 2024 spending using the 2024 Wrapped feature and realized spent way more than I thought I did. Determined to do less than that in 2025.