Two Month Minimalism: Austerity August and a Spend Thrift September

Claire and I are setting ourselves a challenge for the next two months, starting today (1 August).

I'm not going to call it a shopping ban, because it isn't completely. It's a challenge to make the most of what I have, get clever in my shopping, try new things and focus on activities other than mindlessly browsing online clothing retailers as a relaxation activity.

Over the next two months I am going to have five challenges to complete (Claire is going to have some too), and these will act as our opportunities to buy/add new clothes for my wardrobe.

They are:

• Make something. I can buy the materials to make an item of clothing. Most likely a skirt knowing my sewing abilities!!!
• Getting Ebay savvy: selling all those things in the spare room in my ebay pile, and then using the funds to buy a new outfit - from ebay.
• Exchange: clothes swap with my favourite wardrobe oops, I mean blogger Claire 
• Cheap as chips: using vouchers or points to buy an outfit. Currently have about £20 spread across Sainsburys, Tesco's and Boots to spend (it is a challenge afterall!)
• Mystery challenge. As in, I haven't thought of one and would welcome suggestions!!!!!

...and of course, every challenge needs a out clause, other wise known as the Golden Ticket. This ticket (virtual I'm afraid), allows me ONE opportunity to buy something I absolutely MUST MUST MUST have. The one restriction is this - I have to wait 4 days between falling in love and making it mine. No impulse purchase allowed.

And I think that is it. I am allowed to buy other things, including accessories (although I'm going to try to not spend all my time looking at necklaces online instead of dresses. That would be wrong. Fun, but wrong) so that I am encouraged and supported in wearing my existing clothes.

The big question is, what am I going to do with all that time I spend looking at clothes online? Read a bit more? Write the next 50 shades of grey (god forbid)? Let's find out!!!