Planning A Winter Fashion Haul? Think Again.featured

Now that our days are shorter and our nights are colder, if you’re anything like I usually am at this time of year, you’re probably planning a huge winter shopping trip. You’ll stock up on coats, hats, gloves, scarves, thick socks, cuddly PJs and Minion onesies.

But STOP! Do you really need all this stuff? What’s up with the coats you’ve already got? I find it hard to believe that the one you bought last year has fallen apart after just a few months’ wear. Jesus. I’m starting to sound like my mum!

I’m not telling you what to do. If you wanna treat yourself to something special, go ahead. Treat yo self! But it’s easy to fall into the overspending trap. The Youtube hauls are dangling snuggly slippers and luxurious fluffy throws right in front of our eyes and it can be hard to say no to the temptation, especially if you’ve just got paid. But chances are, you could put that money towards something else. Something more meaningful. What about a holiday or even a deposit on a house?

I know the idea of not spending money is hardly revolutionary. Some might argue it’s common sense. We all know how to save money, but we still don’t do it. It’s like eating healthy and losing weight. We know we shouldn’t be eating cake frequently, but it just tastes so good!

We’re still getting ourselves into debt by overspending during the festive period. We’re wasting money we don’t necessarily have on things we don’t really want or need. We can’t afford to buy houses. We spend a ridiculous amount of our wages on rent and bills. But we can still afford to spend more than £100 a season in Primark because we reassure ourselves that everything we’re buying is cheap! I know this won’t apply to everyone, but I also know that many of you will be nodding your head right now and staring guiltily at the gigantic paper bag filled with winter goodies at the end of your bed.

As much as I’d love to treat myself to lots of wintery treats to make all those nights in (and trust me, there’ll be lots of them) that little bit cosier, I’ll be making do with the stuff I bought two years ago. And I dare you to do the same.

I’ve got 5 pairs of scruffy pyjama bottoms that are two dress sizes too big after last winter’s weight loss and the holes in my fluffy winter socks have been sewn up countless times. But I will make do!

Making do with what I already have has got me a long way over the last year. Sure, the first couple of months were tough but once I got out the habit of frequently buying new clothes for the sake of it, it actually started to feel really good! By making do and mending, not only can we save money towards bigger and better things, we can also declutter our wardrobes, reduce that feeling of guilt that comes with overspending, and help to save the planet one fast fashion garment at a time!