Come 2020, I realized that my space was cluttered with clothes and makeup. My closet was not pleasing to look at because of the excess. Despite doing four major decluttering sessions last year, I still didn’t look forward to opening my closet and tallboy.
I also noticed that I tend to get carried away when shopping. Whether it’s clothes or makeup, I often buy items in multiple colors. If something comes in white and blue, I’ll grab both. During my downtime, I browse shops and end up with a shopping haul. On my phone, I do ‘screen shopping,’ adding items to my cart and almost always hitting the purchase button. Whenever a favorite YouTuber raves about something, I rush to buy it. However, there’s always a guilty or empty feeling after these purchases. Reflecting on it now, I’m not proud of it.

I guess I’m maturing and getting better with my money. My goals have shifted. I’m now more focused on saving up for my first house and traveling outside New Zealand. I know these experiences will bring me more joy and a sense of accomplishment than items that will expire or clutter my space. I will still buy things when needed, but I will be more mindful. Below are the questions I ask myself when tempted to buy something. Some of these questions are from the book “The Conscious Closet” by Elizabeth L. Cline, while others I created myself:
Does it fit my personal style, or does it just represent someone else’s style that I admire?
- Do I need this item?
- Do I already own something like it?
- Could I wear this item every day? If not, is it an occasion item I could use repeatedly?
- Where will I wear it and how often?
- What does this go with? How many new outfits can I create using this piece? (Should be at least 3-5)
- Do I need to buy more to be able to wear it?
- Is it in neutral, classic, or versatile color(s)?
- Could I wear this item in 10 years?
- Does it fit exactly how I want it to?
- Does it look exactly how I want it/need it to?
- Is it comfortable?
- Is it special?
- Do I love it?

This January, I’m happy to report that I haven’t purchased anything unnecessary, and I intend to keep it that way. Will you also be doing a low-buy challenge this year? I’ll be updating my progress here from time to time. Thank you and see you!