A Buyer's Archive | 2016

Thursday, January 05, 2017

In 2016 I kept tabs on my spending with Elise by taking part in A Buyer's Archive.

I joined in as it seemed like a sensible way to help keep spending down. In 2015 I spent £1,250.86 (which includes £42.99 spend after issuing a spending ban) on clothes and accessories, and wanted to spend less in 2016.

I'd hoped for a total overall spend of around £400 but it became obvious that that wasn't going to happen when I passed that figure in July. So I set myself a new target - to spend under £745.00, as this would beat my lowest spend since I started keeping a tally back in 2012.

My overall spend for 2016 was £742.39. Seeing it all amassed here it looks like rather a lot, but I kept within my revised budget - by the skin of my teeth!



Do I feel like I made sensible purchases? For the most part yes, I still gave into temptation and made the odd impulse purchase, and I purchased items for occasions when I already had something suitable hanging in my wardrobe, what can I say? I love clothes, and I love shopping.

I often purchased things that I needed to complete my seasonal capsule wardrobes, so I'd say most purchases filled a gap - historically I used to buy whatever took my fancy and I'd work out how to wear it later. This often led to another purchase so I would have something to wear it with. I'd say this counts as progress.

I think that creating a capsule wardrobe every season helped me to spend less because sometimes I saw an item I really liked but I knew I didn't need it, so it stayed in the shop. This didn't always work, but it helped.

Keeping a tally of what I'd spent and on what also helped me to be more aware of my spending over the course of each month, and although some months I did buy a number of items, it did help me to curb my spending throughout the year. I remember thinking to myself 'you've spent enough' on numerous occasions.

So, I'm pleased that I joined in A Buyer's Archive (thank you Elise), and I'm pleased that I spent less than the previous four years!

You can see my yearly spending here 2012  /  2013  /  2014  / 2015. And you can see my monthly Buyer's Archive posts here.

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7 comments

  1. You did brilliantly! The capsule challenge obviously works really well for you. There's some lovely stuff in your mosaic of buys.
    I rarely spend anything on clothes, I shop using the business account and if I fancy something I've bought for stock I just swap for something I've got in the wardrobe. I did splurge a bit last year and bought four new pairs of footwear (a grand total of £110) but as I hadn't bought new shoes for over 5 years thought I could get away with it! x

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    1. Thanks Vix! There are so many items I really like and have worn a lot. I think this capsule thing might be here to stay...
      I'd say £110 on shoes after 5 years without it pretty restrained :)

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  2. Hazel your clothes look absolutely gorgeous all displayed together like that! Some beautiful items and I love the muted colour palette - do you think the capsule wardrobe has helped you to keep colours and how well items go together in mind when you've been shopping? I have such a mishmash! I'm deffo going to try to keep up on Buyer's Archive this year.

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    1. Thank you! I do think the capsule has helped - in more ways than one. But, yes, absolutely it's helped me identify a colour palette, I think of my capsules whenever I buy a new items.
      I'll be continuing next year too, I've already started writing January's post :)

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  3. I think you did really well, Hazel, and I also think the odd impulse buy should be OK. The main thing is that you made progress in that most of your purchases were done to fill a gap. As for overall spending, I think I'd be under your target, but then I almost only buy pre-loved, except for underwear and tights ... Maybe I should keep tabs too, so that I know what I really spend. xxx

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    1. Thank you. I think impulse buys are OK, as long as I don't indulge all the time! I'd like to buy more pre-loved this year, but I don't go as often as I used to as I'm looking for specific things to fill the gaps. But we'll see, most of my favourite purchases of the year where pre-loved so maybe I can do better this year. I don't buy footwear pre-loved mostly because I rarely find anything I like, and I'm with you on the undies and tights! I see them in charity shops a shudder a little! I'd like to find jeans in charity shops but I've only ever found one pair I liked at a clothes swap, and they've just about gone at the knees (I'm too old for the trendy ripped jeans look), maybe I'll have to go on a hunt for some... I do love charity shopping, and I now have a ral hankering to go! :)

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  4. You did well I think! I like the way you've combined them here. It does make an attractive palette.x

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Thank you for taking the time to comment x

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All products that are featured on Hazel’s World of Joy have been purchased by me unless otherwise stated. Any PR samples, items that have been sent to me for review or similar will be declared as such at the end of the post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.