August - Getting into the Mindset

I could dramatically announce that I 'survived the month'. But that would imply that there had been some kind of hardship involved. That would be a lie.

The most striking thing I realised this month was actually nothing to do with my own feelings; but that some people would be suffering by now. Some people would have a page-long list of things that they had discovered that they 'couldn't live without', would have walked past the same shop repeatedly just to look at 'the handbag from heaven'.

I wonder whether I'm not the right person to write this blog. Are there going to be twelve entries attempting to embellish the fact that four weeks have gone by, I've thrown away a few more unworn items, realised they didn't need replacing and got on with my life? This is going to make for even worse reading than I first thought. By the end of the year I may well have two outfits left in the wardrobe and be a naturist at weekends, while they are in the wash. 

Genuinely, the hardest thing about the first month was remembering that I'm not allowed - and even that was only an issue once or twice.

We were on holiday in St Davids, wandering around the shops. I saw a pair of Oxgen shoes,

 Without thinking, I looked at the price (£34.95) and picked a few different colours up to see whether any of the display ones were my size. None of them were and so I was faced with the decision of leaving, or asking to 'properly' try a pair on. It was only then that I realised that was pointless, because I couldn't buy them anyway.

Thinking about it later, I could do with a new pair of shoes... but a pair of black high heels for work, and these definitely didn't fit that bill! I really don't need more than my two pairs of summer shoes.

So my first proper saving; £35. I also saved a bit of space (an increasing concern if/when considering moving into a 20 foot bus permanently - but that is for another blog!) and - maybe - I have lessened the need for another pair of shoes to be produced.

Though I may still look out for them on ebay, in case someone bought the wrong size... They were lovely!

For my birthday I was given two tops, one didn't fit so I exchanged it for a gift-card. I am now carefully guarding £27 worth of Fat-Face specific money in my wallet, waiting until I see something I truly cannot live without or realise that I am in urgent and desperate need of something which can't be found in a charity shop.

Two questions have arisen regarding rules 1. Shoes and 2. Jewellery. Should they be included? I would count a scarf or pair of gloves as clothing, so they wouldn't be allowed, so presumably jewellery should be included too. That shouldn't be too hard except for nose studs, which have a habit of falling out in the night, never to be seen again and I will NOT wear a second hand nose stud.

I had assumed that shoes were also included, until my mum looked horrified and said that she would have to have included shoes with underwear if it were her. I think I will include them for as long as I can. Last year I found an almost new pair of Dr Marten boots for £30 in a designer second hand shop. They can only have been worn once or twice and are still selling for £90 in most shops. 

Without wanting to turn this into a totally shoe-based post (have I found my weakness?), here are the beauties:

Maybe this month's lesson is that second hand/designer places are a better place for shoes than charity shops? I suppose if people have new/good quality things to get rid of then they are more likely to want a bit of money for them, so you end up with a better choice; rather than some smelly old sandals which someone has got bored of and donated to charity. 

The only other things to note this month are that I had another wardrobe clear-out (much to R's amusement, as he says I will actually run out of clothes) and I acquired a pair of mittens and a woolly hat of his mum's.