It seems unreal to write this, but I only have 31 days left of this one year challenge. 
 
As January 1st approaches, I keep getting asked the same questions regarding my “one year of no new clothes” lifestyle.  I’ve picked three of them and thought it would be a good idea to share my answers with all of you.
 
Question #1: Did you REALLY not buy anything this year?
 
Answer #1: Yes & no.  Yes, I really didn’t buy any new clothes this year.  I’ve received some clothing from others as hand me downs or gifts, but I have not personal purchased any new clothes for myself.  I throw in the “no” because I did buy socks and underwear, but I did say that would be allowed this year.
 
So, while I haven’t purchased any clothes I have added three good quality tops to my wardrobe.  I’m thankful to my mom, sister, and best friend for giving me these tops.  It was nice to have something “new” and since I’m not shopping, I appreciate these pieces even more.  They have all been worn multiply times.
 
Questions #2:  I bet you can’t wait to go shopping!  What’s the first thing you’re going to buy?
 
Answer #2:  I’m actually fine with not shopping at this point.  It’s weird to explain, but not shopping has become my norm after all this time.  I do plan on buying a few pieces of clothing in January but a part of me is not looking forward to hitting the stores and trying on clothes.  I might just buy the few items I need online.  But yeah, I already know what I want to buy first.  A PURSE.   You heard me – a purse! 
 
If you’ve been reading all year you know I had a pretty good sized Kate Spade collection that I gave away, and I’ve decided to not purchase another designer purse.  I’ve been looking at good quality, handmade leather purses online and that’s what I’m going to get.  I want something that will last me for years!  If I’ve learned one thing this year it’s this: Quality over Quantity.
 
I also have a list of five pieces I want to add to my wardrobe in January.  I’ll write an entire post on just that later in December, but I plan on purchasing those pieces and then not shopping again for 3 – 6 months. 
 
Question #3:  How much money did you save this year?!
 
Answer #3:  None.  Really, zero. 
 
I know what y’all are thinking, “How’s that possible???”.  Let me explain.  I never intended on growing the size of my savings account by not shopping this year.  That’s not the reason why I did this (read the first blog post).  I assumed I would save a little bit more because I wasn’t spending money, but it’s not the thousands of dollars some people expected.  
 
So, where did all my extra money go?  It went to charities, and family, and experiences.  Every time I felt the impulse to shop I would log onto one of my favorite charity websites and give there.  Got to say, that’s a FAR better feeling then coming home with a new sweater and involves NO shoppers guilt. 
 
I also spent a lot of extra money on my daughter this year.  It was a great feeling to be able to buy her all the new clothes a 13-year-old needs and wants.  I was also able to pay for her to do a lot of “things” this year.  From cons to shows, we were able to go to more and get the good seats. J
 
Do you have any questions for me?  I’m happy to answer any that you may have!  Just comment below. 

Sorry for being MIA for the rest of October, but it was a crazy busy month.  As soon as I got home from Mexico, I had to start preparing for my twin sister’s wedding.  (It was beautiful and I wore a cocktail dress I have owned for two years. *Pat on the back.)

If you read my last blog post, then you know I was challenging myself to pack for my Mexico vacation in just a backpack.  Some people commented “I do that all the time!” and others said “Are you crazy?!”.  I’m not going to lie, I had my doubts if this was something I could go through with.  I have traveled a lot and I like to think I’m a ‘light packer’, but even I have never attempted a backpack before.

So, let me go ahead and cut to the chase – I DID IT!! 

Yup, you read that correctly.  I packed for my entire vacation in ONE backpack and I LOVED IT!  It was so freeing not to have to carry around multiple bags or suitcases. 

And as promised, I did take a picture of everything I packed. (picture below)
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I think one thing I had going for me was that this was a summer vacation.  Shorts, tank tops, & bathing suits don’t require a lot of space.  Not sure if the backpack would work for a winter trip.  It also helped that I packed only ONE pair of shoes.  My best friend, Amy, (who I went on the trip with) couldn’t believe that part.

But yeah, I wore a pair of flip flops on the plane and packed on pair of black sandals.  I wore them every evening to dinner and they worked with every outfit.  Again…beach vacation so my evening outfits were all very similar.

I also limited myself on jewelry.  You can’t tell from the photo, but I packed three pairs of earrings and only one necklace.  If I had wanted to ‘dress up’ one of my outfits, I could have just borrowed something from Amy.  Let’s just say Amy really loves her jewelry and brought enough to stock a small storefront. 

And with as little as I packed, I still didn’t wear everything.  That blew my mind.  When we were packing up to come home I realized there were two nicer tops and a t-shirt I hadn’t even touched.  And I have NO idea why I keep packing a pair of yoga pants – I NEVER wear them.  I swear that I’m not packing them on my next trip!

As proud as I am of not shopping this year, I’m even more proud of how it has changed my packing habits.  I love how simple my travels feel with less clothes.  And like I’ve said before – all your clothes are new clothes when you’re on vacation since none of those people have seen them before! 

So, now I’m challenging all of you!  Next time you travel - pack less.  Try using just a carry on or use only a backpack.  I’d love to hear how you did and what other “travel light” tips you have.
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Side note – It’s November.  That means I only have TWO months left in this yearlong challenge!!!! I’m beyond excited with how the year has progressed and I can’t wait to finally clean out my closet.  As always, I’ll be keeping you posted.