Well, it looks like it’s that time again. Time for me to take another attempt at a 3 month shopping ban. I think enough time has passed for me to forget the failure of the last one. I kid. Kinda. But not really.

If you read this post, you already know that I attempted to do a shopping ban on all clothing back in July. The ban was scheduled to start in July and continue 2 weeks into October (I was giving myself 2 weeks off at the beginning of September for a 2 week vacation that we would be taking). So, lasting 3 months in total.

You probably also know that the point of doing the ban was to reset a familiar habit that I was once again finding myself in…the habit of spending too much money on clothes.

And if you read this post, you probably also know that the shopping ban only lasted for 1 month.

And if you didn’t know all of that, then you do now. 😉

So, why another shopping ban?

So, you may be wondering, why would I want to do something that I’ve already proven that I suck at? To which I reply, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. How very motivational of me.

In all seriousness, I’m back in the same place that I was back in July…spending too much money on clothes. And it feels like a bus I’ve ridden on before and I’d like to get off.

So, when a private group formed on Instagram called @beyond_wear, with the premise of being a supportive place for former shopaholics or just anyone wanting a little support to curb their spending, I was quick to request to join.

And when this same group proposed a spending freeze called the #byebuychallenge, I was quick to contemplate joining. But that fear of failure reared its ugly head and it took about a week of contemplation to make the commitment and to set my own rules for the challenge.

I rationalized that this time will be different.

This time, I have a support network, with a group of awesome people that I already engage with on Instagram.

I reasoned that, this time, my closet is pretty full of items that I love to wear.

This time, I am not attempting to do a capsule wardrobe challenge at the same time and I have access to all of my clothing and accessories.

This time, I am determined to succeed.

With all of my rationalizations in my back pocket, I set out to define what the “bye buy challenge” would look like for me.

What are the rules for the “bye buy challenge”?

There are no set rules for the group. It’s up to the individual to determine the timeline and restrictions that work best for them.

This is what I came up with…

1. No new clothing purchases from January 1 – March 31. This includes any secondhand or vintage items as well. I will permit myself to purchase a new pair of running shoes as needed.
2. I can only purchase skincare and makeup as I use it up. No new products to try. Honestly, this won’t be hard for me. I already like what I like and I’m not looking to change anything at the moment.
3. Any item that I am tempted to buy will be documented in an Instagram story where I will state why I don’t need the item and list the price for the item.
4. I will transfer 10-20% of the item price to a savings account that I nicknamed “Sh*t I didn’t buy” to be used for house upgrades at a later time.
5. The challenge will not include food related purchases, such as dining out.
6. It also will not include purchases for the home, which are seldom occurrences anyways.

Will I fail? Maybe.

Do I care if I fail? Not really.

Will I try my best to not fail? You betcha!

Wondering how you can check in on my progress?

Check back from time to time if you’re interested in how I’m doing. Better yet, subscribe for updates (there’s a place to sign up with your email to the right if you’re on a desktop or scroll to the bottom on your phone)…shameless plug right there ;).

You can also follow me on Instagram (@uncomplicatedspaces) to see how I am using the clothes and accessories that I own for the next 3 months to make lots of different outfits.

Have you ever done a shopping ban? Would you do a shopping ban?