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Home > Ready to eat, coming late to the table. Am I dressed OK?

Ready to eat, coming late to the table. Am I dressed OK?

April 12th, 2012 at 02:34 pm


I'm late to join the daily tracking expenses, partially because I was shamed by own lack of self-control and over-spending for the pay period ending today. But I'm ready to join in, tracking the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Spending for 4/11:

$21.63 - Play It Again Sports, soccer cleats and shin guards. Used.

$10.64 - Clothing, $4.83 for swimsuit NWT at resale shop, $5.81 nightgown on clearance at Target for 80% off.

$14.02 - Walmart for groceries to get thru til Fri (milk/2 L of soda/Gatorade/one can dog food and treats/box of cereal/cupcakes for lunches)

$3.37 - Utilies: Trash sticker

Total Spent: $49.66
Remaining balance in checkbook: $.38 (Not really, but my credit card payment is scheduled to leave the account tomorrow, and I am in the black after the payment, with only $.38.)

Strategy to combat this lack of impulse control and poor planning: CASH ONLY THIS WEEK!

We're OK with at least some gas in the cars, so it won't be what we usually spend to fill up on payday. I'll be using the last $25 off of $50 coupon at Dominick's for transferring an RX. I plan on stocking up on chicken breasts/tilaia/ground beef (though not sure how far $50 will go). Note to self: Read fine print on coupon - I know it doesn't apply to dairy. Meal planning here is key, and not according to sale ads/coupons for the next two weeks. At least here I'll be forced to be accountable.

My esteem has taken a small beating lately, due to my own self-comparisons. I am by no stetch a flashy/blingy individual. DS said to me two weeks ago in a sad sort of way, "Gee, Mom, you don't have a lot of clothes, do you? M's mom did lunch duty every day for a month and didn't wear the same thing twice." Then when I was at the grocery store yesterday, the clerk at the customer service desk where I was buying my trash sticker lowered her voice and said, "Me, too. I have the same sweater and have been wearing it for twenty years!!"

I was lucky enough to have four big bags of hand-me-downs from my brother's girlfriend, access was offered in a very nice way so I felt that I wasn't exactly a charity case. My husband is recipient to my brother's stuff and has been for eons. Anyhow, this girlfriend that he is quite serious about, is my size and has similar taste and style, so I was able to find a nice pair of leather boots (real leather, I might add), a large black leather handbag and wallet (that I promptly moved into), three dresses (one red and black that I'll wear to my daughter's Confirmation, and the other two are black), a dressy top, a pair of capris and a pair of jeans (though it is taking some time to get used to "low rise" clothing).

You'd think that in my early 40s I be over this sort of thing. Apparently not.

5 Responses to “Ready to eat, coming late to the table. Am I dressed OK?”

  1. ceejay74 Says:
    1334240849

    I completely relate, and I'm 38. I don't make clothing a priority, and I'm happy with that choice; the other "wants" I spend more on are more important to me. But I know if I had a huge budget surplus, I'd definitely upgrade my wardrobe.

    I've never been hugely feminine (though I love wearing sundresses in summer), I don't wear makeup, I keep my hair short partly because I'm terrible at styling it. I've certainly accepted that I'm no great beauty but that I've found love and adoration beyond my wildest dreams. So why do I sometimes look at myself and wish I could just get it together and look better?

    Putting our friend on What Not to Wear definitely upped my desire to get more stylish, better constructed clothes. And I have made an effort to put more of my fun money toward keeping my wardrobe fresh. But when I step back and look at it, I still know it's relatively low on my list of priorities.

  2. snshijuptr Says:
    1334240936

    I love hand-me-down's, or more like pass-it-on's. My mom became an avid thrift store shopper in her late 50's and she went from a decent wardrobe to constantly changing out her clothes. I get a lot of the stuff that she doesn't have room for anymore. She calls it "guiltless shopping", and now that she's been at it for a few years, she has an incredible eye for great bargains and has several thrift stores that she knows get good stuff. I recommend trying to find some good stores if you really feel bad about your wardrobe. Otherwise you can always arrange clothing swaps with friends so you all have fresh things to wear.

  3. pretty cheap jewelry Says:
    1334254233

    I made the mistake of getting 'Oprah' magazine this year (to support my kids school fundraising) after a few years of Martha Stewart. Ugh, it's been awhile since I read women's magazines. What a bunch of wasted time on clothes. Or how to dress for this or that event. Bleh. It's plain classics for me (normally thrift and occasionally splurge on higher quality LL Bean or American Apparel or whatnot, (though I've gotten Talbots jeans from the thrift). And if I want to try something new, the thrift is a great place to try. Like a lime green sleeveless ribbed top (I ended up LOVING the color) or a ruffly girlie thing not usually me.

    And what is the big deal with purses in that magazine. Oy, I use one at a time and wear it out in a few years.

    Sorry for the rant! I hear ya on the daily spending disclosings!!

  4. Swimgirl Says:
    1334285615

    I don't shop much at thrift stores. My strategy is to buy classics on clearance and then wear them forever. I like Eddie Bauer and the GAP and I shop at their outlets. But it MUST be a decent price. A blouse marked down to $39 is no deal for me! I'm always looking for basics. If I just must have something crazy or trendy, I look at Marshall's or Target. I would LOVE to have someone give me their hand-me-downs! But since it's not an option, I just shop very carefully. I have had better luck buying high quality clothes on clearance, but I have friends who swear by Target!

  5. baselle Says:
    1334288520

    My attitude is that if the clothes are clean, you fit in them, and nothing is hanging out, its all good. I do the thrift stores, Target sometimes, Ross other times. I'm comfortable only in the basics. I think people at work would faint if I wore a dress. It gets a little easier at 50 (where I'll be in about two weeks), and Seattle is very laid back in that area.

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