Day 9: No love lost...Just knickers.

Happy Royal Wedding Day! To celebrate I indirectly bought two things today: champagne and undies.

Please read on before you get angry with me.

I'm home in Perth for a couple of weeks and in my mad dash to the airport what did I forget to pack? Yep. Underpants. Today it is fair to say, I hit an all time low. I tried to not go and immediately replace what I needed and I borrowed a pair of my mother's knickers. For one day. Please see image below to understand my deep sense of desperation. My new undies are on top for comparison:

Even more embarrassing was that my beautiful mother offered to buy my bonds briefs and G's so as to not break my quest of 100 days non-spending. Bless. I shamefully and gratefully accepted. Two pair of briefs and G's bought by... my mum. Tim (my hubby) will express post me more of my own underwear tomorrow. Crisis slightly averted (I couldn't go more than 1 day in mum's briefs!) with (humiliatingly) zero expense...Well perhaps only grossly costly to my dignity. Thank god there was a Royal Wedding to watch and champagne to drink.

Day 8: Curl-Up and Dye

Day 8.

Today’s focus was finding an alternative to getting my hair cut and coloured with not only financial but also environmental benefits. The first thing that sprung to mind was Mr. A.

Where Tim and I live we have a kind of mini flat below us, but it is a part of the same property. There are two gorgeous boys that live there: Mr. A and Mr. S. We were out with them a few weeks ago where one of the boys’ sisters told me that Mr. A did all 5 of his sisters’ hair. She was living proof that Mr. A could cut and colour hair. Cut and colour. The boys pay me $10 per week for electricity. I could substidise my hair upkeep with the amount paid for electricity!

The perfect opportunity to approach Mr. A with this half cooked plan presented itself as I was kindly invited downstairs to have brekky with the boys today. I took the plunge and asked Mr. A if he would do my hair, helping in my quest. He said he would! He will!!!... Mr. A did however refused to colour my hair.

That could be a problem.

Mr. A told me flat out “No”. Even though it was a no, it was followed with a lovely explanation that he (and Mr S both) loved my colour (“So natural, so well done. I couldn’t try to do the same for you”) and highly recommended to keep going to my hairdresser for this key component to my flowing locks.

I still thought I’d look into an alternative colour treatment so did what all good researchers do, I Google searched ‘natural hair products and hair dyes for blondes’. This is what I found:

Hair Color
Blonde Hair	12 drops lemon, 6 drops rosemary OR lavender, 2 drops chamomile
Red Hair	18 drops orange, 1 drop cinnamon, 1 drop ylang ylang
Dark Hair	15 drops sandalwood, 4 drops patchouli, 1 drop clove
Gray Hair	14 drops lavender, 3 drops sage, 3 drops rosemary

I’m all for natural alternatives, but seriously? The idea that 12 drops of lemon juice would blonde your hair surely went out in the 70’s if not 80’s. Admittedly I would give it a go, if I hadn’t already. At the tender age of 8, I overheard my mother talking about using the ol’ lemon trick (along with the stellar practice of soaking in body oil to tan on the hood of her car) in her youth. 

My mum was a platinum blonde. ‘Surely this could work!’ my impressionable self then thought. Yet, after 3hrs of sitting in the sun and having been through what must have been 10 lemons, I smelt lovely but no, I was still as brunette as a clover (without using the clove as ‘Dark Hair’ suggests).

So, rejecting this I researched the colour that I know my current hairdresser uses which is Aveda. In recent years I’ve gone to hairdressers that use Aveda because, well, I really like the smell. But looking further into how environmental they are was interesting (and thankfully a good outcome – yay! More smelly hair colour visits!). 

Firstly they minimize packaging but ensure it is recyclable, only working with suppliers who use renewable energy. This is really good but more importantly their products contain more natural ingredients than there are in my fridge! (See www.aveda.com/templates/products/glossary). Whoop! Hair both environmental and (semi-) financially viable … TICK!

Day 7. “What About Tampons?”

Day 7. 

Today was pretty uneventful and I managed to avoid all ability to impulse buy. I did however make the mistake of checking my emails. It’s not as you would think. There weren’t any heart agonising blasts from my favourite stores, just plain ones, including one from my beautiful girlfriend Rachel.

Sadly Rachel wrote to me about my blog with a very good question: “What about tampons?”

My initial response was, “Well I can buy anything I need from the supermarket…” But yes! The supermarket could potentially be a hazardous zone. I could go crazy with extra spending in there. I can do it anywhere! I am quite lucky that before these challenging 100 days of not shopping started Tim and I were in the habit of writing a shopping list. Rules were set and we were not allowed to stray from the list once we hit the supermarket. This would be useful. But I still need to stipulate a few more key agreements on my part in committing to my challenge:

No extra curricular purchases from the supermarket including anything that needs the phrase ‘Ooh I might need… insert unnecessary items such as hair pins, body scrubs, special hair towel thingy, lettuce dryer, cute shaped muffin trays, make-up sponges etc’.

Yes, any lady-needs like tampons or things pharmaceutical are allowed. (Isn’t this fair enough?!)

This does bring to play whether I’m allowed things like nail polish remover. Not nail polish, just the remover… Maybe if I sacrificed my coffee for one day I could buy this one and only thing?

Regrettably Rachel also emailed a question I have feared would be asked… “Ps- are you able to get your hair done?”

I cannot not get my hair done. I really really can’t!!

I still need to be able to get a job and can’t show up to interviews with not only black roots in my blonde-ish hair but –gasp- grey! No! I need my colour and cut. But how about this... How about if I experiment in home hairdressing? Not by me! God, I’d have the ultimate orange/blonde/ shaggy-dog-look totally down if I tried. I do think if I can work out a way that I don’t have to do my hair at home but someone else could, this solution is reasonable. But I’m happy to compromise. And maybe even find an environmental way to colour my hair. I’ll find a way…

Day 6: ... the day I crumbled.

Day 6.

So even though days 3,4 and 5 were spent holidaying I was very proud of myself for not succumbing to:

1. Spa Treatments

2. Clothing or shopping of any kind (outside of food and cocktails)

3. Magazines….

But it was in this third category that on this day 6, I failed. Tim and I were at Cairns Airport which is surprising good with a few fun shops and eateries including the local product I have always loved about Cairns Airport: beer. Now usually if time permitted when I traveled to Cairns for work, I would customarily have a local bevy with some crisps before my flight. Because Tim and I had time on our side we decided to indulge in a couple which ultimately lead to my shopping demise. 

I am a Cadbury kid (“Glass and A Half”) at the best of times, but for some reason today hit me harder than usual. And as Tim dashed to the bathroom leaving me unsupervised in the newsagents I found myself at a crossroads. I wanted a Frankie magazine and there was no one to stop me in my somewhat irresponsible state. The long and short of it was that I bought it. I got the mag and felt so guilty I hardly looked at it the whole flight home. Tim even said to me when he saw it: “Are you allowed to have that?”

Was this supportive: Yes.

Was this helpful: No.

I started the blame game… Can I really only make it 6 days in? Why did I have that second beer that obviously clouded my good judgment? Why didn’t Tim make me take it back and confess to the newsagent lady that I’ve been a very bad girl and I’m not allowed any magazines because I’m trying to go without for a measly 100 days?!

But, I’ve decided to forgive myself and to move on with the resolve that I cannot consume alcohol (not all together! That is another 100 days for another time!) in the presence of anything that can be bought. If I do find myself in this situation, I must be supervised at all times. I simply cannot be left alone under this influence, as my defenses are too weak. The first thing I did though when we got home and I sulkily slumped on the couch was I turned to Frankie’s ‘30 Days’.

‘30 Days’ is a regular feature in Frankie and it was this feature that part inspired me to start my blog. For this month the 30 Days was to see if the author could go without drinking any booze.

The sad irony of this was not lost upon me.

Small comfort was the author Dan only got 5 days in before succumbing to embarrassingly drinking a Kahlua and Coke. At least Frankie is not the Kahlua and Coke of the magazine world… so it seems there’s hope for me yet.

Days 3, 4 and 5: Days of Pain Lumped Together

Day 3.

Firstly my Day 3 entry kind of started at the end of Day 2 because unfairly, there weren’t any shops open for Good Friday. So on Thursday late afternoon before I dashed to my yoga class I innocently went to buy Easter eggs. This was fine. Shopping for others. Giving. And it’s chocolate! Well, for most it is anyway. I also went to T2 to get something as an Easter-thank-you-thing for my vegan-tea-drinking yoga teacher.

Problem: I love tea and all tea accessories.

Solution: I did stipulate that I cannot buy anything for the home, and was clever enough to include that anything desirable is also a no-go-shopping-zone. 

But the clever little jars are so pretty. And practical. And I love drinking tea. All types of yummy flavours. I could buy it for someone else…? Luckily after sweating it out while smelling and clinging onto 5 different types of tea (that already came with a cool jar holder thing- what value!) I put them all slowly back, got my yoga teachers’ tea and walked out. Close call. Tim did find out about the T2 gift for my yoga teacher and wants me to add gifts to my ‘Can’t Buy’ list. Hmm, we compromise and I’m only allowed to buy birthday gifts during my 100 days.

Day 4.

Tim and I are on holidays in Cairns for Easter so I can’t get to a computer like I had hoped to do my blog (hence Days 3,4 and 5 lumped together). But I can still receive emails, which is how I got the email blast…

Net-a-porter has free shipping til May 4.

I can still buy online from my phone. It is painfully slow and drawn out, but it can be done. The UK Pound exchange to AUD is so good at the moment I’ve been buying smaller priced items (like undies and bras, well actually only undies and bras) on net-a-porter. My fav CK bra converts to $32 AUD!!! See isn’t it pretty:

And with free shipping! Crazy! Please girls, do it for me and get onto this bargain! It is Day 4 and I am remaining strong.

Day 5.

It is Day 5 and I haven’t sold anything. Eeek! I keep forgetting (perhaps putting off) that element of my challenge. The worst part is (and this might surprise you) that I don’t know how to use Ebay.

I know it’s strange and of course I’ve heard how good it is but alas, no, I have never used Ebay. I had thought about maybe having a market and selling my 100 items in one swoop, but I think that’s making the challenge a little easy. I might reserve something like the market idea toward the end of the 100 days if desperation sets in.

So! Ebay it is. I will try to add something to Ebay each day and if I miss a day (I’ve missed 5 days so far!!!), I’ll have to make it up. I must sell 100 items in 100 days. I am concerned about the ability to not only sell but shop on Ebay. I’ll be fine. Maybe.

Day 2: No Need To Cry Over My Eaten Handbag

Day 2.

Ok! So Day 2 has been eventful thus far!

Firstly, I've had sooooooo much support from my friends about my blog and quest to succeed in this challenge! Thank you!!! But there has been some feedback: no magazines for Monique is the general message. Damn it!

The argument (and rightly so) is that I can read content from magazines online and this would be more sustainable and would save me more money. This is true. It is also true that my favourite coffee place that is in walking distance does stock my favourite mags. So essentially I could fit exercise into the equation (again, enviro friendly!), sit and have my coffee (whoop- no paper used for my t/a) and read the magazines there. I'm going to do it. Committed to the cause. End of story. Why did I think of this self torture as a good idea again?

Secondly, last night I went to visit a girlfriend for a cuppa where sadly, their beautiful dog Stella ate my handbag. My favourite tan leather handbag. Well, ate the essential element: both handles (see pic below). I must be strong and NOT go online to relook at a handbag I saw earlier this week that would be the perfect replacement. Stella’s parents have been more than generous and kindly offered to get the handbag replaced or repaired. Would this be allowed in my quest?

Thought you might want to see my car vs. my Louboutins

Day 1: Let The Non-Shopping Begin!

Day 1.

At 9am I email my nearest and dearest girlfriends asking for their advise on my blog (the email is available to read also). I ask if 100 days is enough? Do they think this will be a struggle for me? And in not so many words am I a freak on my own with this problem that no one else wants to hear about or worse am I trying to be the Aussie ‘Confessions of a Shop-a-holic’ (minus all the designer paraphernalia) and totally unoriginal?

It’s 3.59pm. No replies from girlfriends. This combined with my husband querying my need to stipulate that I am not allowed to buy vests on my “Can’t Buy” list (Him, laughing hysterically: “Why do you always talk about vests? You don’t have any vests. I’ve never seen you buy a vest?!”. Me: “I love vests. I have two, but I think they are too expensive for what they are. And if I don’t say I can’t buy them- I will!”)

Obviously I’m not feeling the support of my peers and loved ones. 

Who will I turn to? Net-a-porter for online shopping (voyeuristic only!) and Jak & Jil blog (because they are so cool and maybe I could make the clothes I have look like theirs? Maybe).

The email I sent to ask my nearest and dearest about the rules of my challenge

Morning lovely ladies!

I consider you all my nearest and dearest and I need your help with something... (Also if I could get Rach's email addy that would be great!)

Now the reason I am approaching you all for this help is because I know you all will:

1. Support me 
2. Not laugh at me
3. Be honest

So! After a slight discretion involving my credit card over the past two days (Gina, you know what I'm talking about!) I have decided to set myself a challenge. I am going to challenge myself to not buy anything for my wardrobe or cosmetics collection for 100 days (today to July 27).

One aim of doing this will be to save money but the message will mostly be to change my spending behaviour and think environmentally by being resourceful and only using what I currently own to encourage sustainable living. To up the anti during this 100 days I will also have to sell 100 items that I currently own. To document this and make it a proper commitment I will write a blog as a diary entry each day.

So first of all, what do you think? (Please reply to all so that your ideas might give one of you another inspired idea) Does it sound like something you would want to read about? Do you think it is actually a challenge for me and something that I would struggle with?

Secondly, I need you to confirm/deny/give ideas on what I am not allowed and am allowed to purchase during this 100 days.

What I won't buy (I was thinking) would be:

Any clothes including dresses, vests, pants, shorts, skirts, jumpers, cardi's, tops & jeans. Also cosmetics (excluding what is listed in my 'Can Buy' list) including blush, brozer, eyeshadow, lipstick, lipgloss lip balm and eye liner and then any perfumes, nail polishes etc. My list of 'Can't Buy' is then extended to any of the following: shoes, handbags, underwear (including bras), socks, hair accessories (including clips and bobby pins), jewellery, body or face scrubs or moisturisers (other than basic listed in 'Can Buy'), tights or stockings, hats, scarves, pins or brooches. Also no homewares or swimwear. Pretty much any desirables. Have I missed anything?

What I can buy:

Only $10 moisturiser and $10 face wash that I get from the supermarket. Mascara ( I should only have to buy one over this time) and foundation (again would only need one) as I would need these in my beauty routine. And so that I have something to cure my need to BUY BUY BUY I would be allowed to purchase 2 magazines per month (6 over the 3 month period = just under $60).

What do you think?

Another added stipulation would be that no one can buy me any of these items either. And as this challenge falls over my birthday I think it's only fair that I put it out there that I can't receive gifts from my 'Can't Buy' list. And if I do I'll have to give them to charity (but of course I would make my quest public knowledge prior to my big 3-0 day).

Please be as honest as you can in any thoughts, feedback and ideas, I'd really appreciate any feedback!

Things like: 
- do you think 100 days is long enough?
- do you think I should be allowed the mags? (I am kind of doing this so I could approach them with my blog during/after to see if they are interested - mags are Peppermint and Frankie)
- do you feel this is relatable?
- do you think it is worth mentioning that during this 100 days I'll be researching fashion generally and every day due to looking for jobs and thinking about starting a blog on the fashion scene in Brisbane?

Thank you so so much girls! Let me know your thoughts and if you wouldn't mind being quoted in my blog. I'll try to start today so all input is really appreciated!

PS I can still buy gifts for other people :)

Love M xx

My Commitment To Not Shopping For 100 Days: The Why and How

As stated, the reason for my blog is to help me stop shopping unnecessarily and perhaps change my behaviours in how I shop and when. But I was also inspired to try to be sustainable in my living and even encourage others to do the same.




My history with shopping unnecessarily:
I guess like any behavioural fault in oneself I could blame my purchasing ‘tick’ on my mother. But let’s not go down that road. It’s me. I can’t help it. I go through a series of weeks without spending on any clothing items and then WHAMMO! I’m in a store listening to the “SPEND! SPEND! SPEND!” voice in my head. Fever pitch always hits. And I walk out of a store with that ever-bittersweet taste of bagging a bargain! Vs. I can’t afford to go out for the rest of the month and wear my fabulous clothes AND it is only 10 days into the 30 until I am next paid. What spurted the idea for this blog? Well after many discussions this year with my husband Tim, we decided that I needed to leave my job so that we could see more of each other and I could have a better quality of life. It is 10 days into my month (planned) of unemployment or “in-between jobs” time and I’ve already been shopping both online and in stores impulsively. Something had to give. And it did! Somewhat sadly (debatable) it gave me two new pairs of shoes, a new dress and tights but it also gave me the idea for this challenge and hence this blog! I don’t want you to misconstrue me though. I am not someone that can afford to not have a job. I am someone that lives pay-check to pay-check and I like many people live beyond my means. My priorities are skewed (please refer to the image of my car vs. the image of my Louboutin shoes that I bought as my wedding keep sake) but I am a good person and enjoy being giving, but I cannot always afford to do that and I can especially not always afford to keep up with buying clothes according to fashion trends. But that is also not what this is about because really, we are very lucky in that good fashion is available to everyone for mostly reasonable prices now, but I would really like to set myself and succeed in the challenge of not partaking in desirable spending to 1: see if I can really do this and maybe change the way that I shop, aka no fever pitch involvement and 2: I would really like to do this to live more sustainably and maybe encourage one other person to do the same. My Inspiration:
Actually two separate items, from two individual magazines, inspired me. At the start of each month in a magazine called Peppermint all the contributors announce to the readers how they individually want to change to have more sustainable lifestyles. Things like, swearing to have a veggie garden by next month and committing to only buying vintage or recycled clothing. I wanted to do these too but sadly I rent with my husband and even more sadly I am crap at vintage shopping. I love it. But I’m crap at it; lacking all vision required. The other article from Frankie that inspired me was about how a guy tried to give up being negative for 30 days and kept a day by day journal of the events he went to and through, and how he struggled. After reading this humorous take on how you can change your way of thinking by challenging yourself even ever so slightly, I thought: I could do that. The dooming guilt of my day’s purchase that I truly could not afford in my unemployed social status turned on the light bulb in my mind to say “Hey! What about a challenge where I can’t shop?!”. I had tried this before. The rules would need to be tough. I would need support, maybe even a sponsor-type who I could call in a crisis as I rummaged through my husbands draws to find my credit card to buy something sneakily online (true story). Like an addict, I was bound to find a way. But what if I made my quest public knowledge? What if friends, family and even strangers could shame me publicly if I crumbled? I could do this to change my behaviours in how I shopped AND contribute to the environment without embarrassingly wearing something just plain unwanted from the Vinnies and being laughed at not only by my husband but also by my fashion savvy cat, Brixton. Yes. This is what I would do. A blog. And so it began…