In April, I made the bold venture of cutting the parental cord. Mentally it felt like it was time to be out on my own and really supporting myself. I should add that I have loving parents who are the farthest thing from overbearing. So, my great exodus had nothing to do with them and everything to do with me. It was just time to really start my life.
So, after blowing through nearly all of my savings, my yearly bonus, and my tax return I got my start. You know what makes you really feel like an adult? When you hear a broker say, ‘Well all I need from you is the brokers fee, security deposit, and first month’s rent.” My first thought was my parents were right and I should have listened to them. They were right when they told me to save a small percentage of every single paycheck because now this fabulous fashionista is broke as a joke!
While I do feel a certain comradery with my fellow broke 20 somethings. It would be nice to be one of the few that has her sh*t together. You know saving for my future and what not? Griping about our bills, loans, and rent over the bottomless brunch we technically cannot afford is kind of fun….in the drinking sorrows away via mimosas kind of way.
You know what is really fun though? A stacked savings account and real emergency funds for a rainy day. Let’s be real though. Buying property? Retirement? Those are not on my mind. Let’s just think about next month’s rent and the absorbent amount of student loans I have from the private university I just had to go to.
Alas, in the spirit of taking life’s lemons and turning it into lemonade (spiked lemonade that is), I have found the small silver living. Due to the fact that I am not flush with cash I have had to significantly cut back on my shopping. My lack of shopping has caused me to really take a good hard look at my own closet. I have come to realize that I really do not need to hit the stores as often as I have in the past. I would even dare say that my personal style has improved.
So fashionistas, here is my spiked lemonade a.k.a. what six months of living on my own taught me:
I realized that I really do not need to shop so much.
Prior to moving out I was shopping weekly and buying at least 1 new thing per week. Most times though, it was two or three new things. I had a lot of redundancies in my wardrobe to to say the least. How many pairs of geometric print pants does a girl need to prove the point?!
I realized that my current wardrobe is actually pretty awesome already.
I have a dresser, a closet, a wicker chest, and a garment rack filled with clothes. This is not say that I should just throw in the towel and stop shopping all together. I just do not need to be going on a weekly spree. I am finding the balance between not shopping at all and filling in gaps.
I have become a better shopper.
I used to shop simply for the sake of buying something new. That is stupid and wasteful. Now,I shop for things that I need. Okay fine, as you can see from the description of my wardrobe above I do not need anything. I will say though that now instead of shopping like a crazy person with an Amex and no worries, I have learned to only buy things that are filling in the gaps where my wardrobe is lacking. For example, my next purchase will hopefully be a cute pair of over the knee boots or a new wool coat. Those would both be an update on the items I currently own that have become a bit dated.
Note: A past purchase might have been a pair of black booties even though I already have a pair. I would say to myself “But those are leather and these are suede plus the heel is different.”
My personal style has improved.
Buying something new is like taking the easy way out. Remixing your current wardrobe is the real challenge. I have had so much fun shopping my own closet and seeing all the fun ideas I can come up with. The best was when I went to New York Fashion Week this year and did not buy anything new for any of the shows I attended. Last season, I frantically searched high and low for something “chic” to wear, while this season I did not purchase a single thing and I feel like my outfits were significantly better. I have become less trend conscious and more focused on just being me.
Do I love not having all the money the world to throw around? Definitely not. Am I working towards getting to that point? Absolutely. Will I keep the lessons learned during this time in mind in the future? Without a doubt!
