Oh, the Difference a Month Makes

In ten days, I will be HAPPY to say that I have not purchased any apparel items in one month! On the 15th of January I decided that I spend way too much on clothing, and have more clothing than I can possibly need/use. After doing some serious soul searching, I came to the conclusion that I shopped out of mere habit. Habits are not easily broken. Here are a few reasons WHY it was just so difficult to quit shopping, cold turkey:

#1: Working at a mall provides far too many opportunities to blow my pay check

#2: I was doing a lot of damage during my one hour lunch breaks. I spent them perusing through the stores, I could basically have done a mental inventory of H&M and Forever 21, on any given day.

#3: I work at Nordstrom, and everyone feels the need to look so amazingly stylish all the time, I felt the need to keep up (or at least attempt to do so)

#4: I am physically incapable of passing up a bargain
Example:
Two weeks into my self inflicted torture, I was browsing through Anthropologie.I happened upon an amazing find: an adorable, affordable dress.(I work in the dress department, so have been re-programmed to favor dresses above all other clothing items). It was on the sale rack, my size, and only $40! I decided that I had been good for about two weeks, and I was really the only one holding me back. So I walked the dress toward the register, trying to talk myself into caving before the month was up. Such a great price, and if it did not fit me, I would give it as a present. Convincing,right? Meanwhile, I was secretly hoping it fit. THEN, LIKE A BOLT OF LIGHTNING, I stopped, Put that fabulous dress down: and walked away. Just like that.

Encouraged by my new found self-control, I decided that I could indeed, make it an ENTIRE month...
I decided that there needed to be some serious changes.
I stopped perusing through the shops on my break, and brought homework or a book to pass the time. I also, stopped browsing through the different departments, when it was slow at work. My tactics proved successful. I am ten days away from achieving my goal.

Pathetic, perhaps. But definitely ground breaking, for me personally.