Sales Shopping For Grumpy Clothes Shoppers (Like Me)

Nicki CawoodI’m a keen fan of sales shopping because sales shopping is all about finding items you want or need, without much effort and without parting with too much money. More on this in a minute.

Over the summer we moved to a new house. We only moved down the street but this house (as much as I loved the other one) is quite frankly bigger and better. As expected moving to a new house came with a long list of very necessary purchases. We needed a new bin for the kitchen. We needed curtains. Bathroom storage was something I needed to think about (we’ve a bigger bathroom but nowhere to put the towels) and then there were all the little expenses that seems to add up. The new doormat, a clock for the kitchen, new cutlery and so on.
We also got new sofas for the lounge. That was an adventure as we had to get a window company out to remove the bay window glass to get the damn things in as I hadn’t measured the hall properly. The less said about that decision the better I think.

I love my new house, but I have to say, you can only get so excited about new placemats for the dining room.

Sales Shopping
Photo by Artificial Photography on Unsplash.

I’ve posted about Love The Sales before and continue to be quite the fan. Now that I’ve well and truly scratched my homewares shopping itch, my sales shopping attention is now pointed elsewhere. It’s pointed at me.

Yes, I know, I hate shopping for me. Or at least I say I do. The thing is, I’m not very good at shopping for myself. Need new nets for your lounge? I can find you a bargain, measure up and locate a piece of great quality net curtain that will transform your window with no problem. When it comes to treating myself however, I’m not great. I don’t like physically shopping, I just don’t, and I find spending money on myself difficult, much to my husband’s frustration (he wants me to treat myself but I tend to look for something for me and then buy new storage for Taylor’s room, a book for Roy or a treat for everyone else but myself).

I can’t escape the fact however that the seasons are turning, and my wardrobe is looking somewhat shabby to say the least. I really do need some new items and to be honest, I probably should spend a little more on myself. Maybe it’s the Irish in me, maybe it’s the Yorkshire but I find parting with money (for my own benefit) difficult so I’ve come to a compromise with myself. I’m going to buy myself a few nice new items but only if that involves sales shopping and avoiding changing rooms with their all-too-honest mirrors and ridiculously bright lighting!

Now that I’ve (sort of) made peace with myself about needing to buy a few key items for my winter wardrobe and parting with some pennies, I’ve actually enjoyed having a good browse. I’m definitely going to be treating myself to some new jeans from the Dorothy Perkins LoveTheSales offers. I know jeans don’t seem like a very swish or sexy purchase but I live in jeans so a really nice pair makes all the difference to how I feel about myself and the rest of an outfit. I find DP Jeans to be a decent fit if you’ve got plus-sized bottom and short legs. They’re also made of decent quality denim which make life easier as they last longer.

I’m also going to try and find a few tops that are a bit more…feminine. Believe it or not, under these saggy jumpers and my collection of identical ¾ sleeve tops (I have the exact same top in 4 colours that I wear constantly) hides a woman. A women with curves! I’m considering letting her out from time to time and maybe even adding a splash of colour to break up all of the grey, black and dark brown. Don’t faint. There is a limit to how girly I can go in one leap but I have to say that there are some fab tops at Laura Ashley which I could actually cope with, especially with new jeans!  

You know what, the more I consider sales shopping and dive in and out of online stores I wouldn’t think to consider otherwise, the more I’m enjoying the experience. Not only have I found some brilliant bargains with very little effort, there’s not be one smelly changing room in sight.

What about you? Are you a sales shopping fan or are you less strict about spending money on yourself than I am? Why I find it so hard I’ll never know, but at least I’ve found a relatively low stress and budget friendly way to buy quality items without too much angst. I’m not promising that I’ll not grumble a little during the process though……

 

via GIPHY

Slimming Down and Hitting the Sales

nickiprofAug

I’m back at Weight Watchers….

Yes, I know, you’ve heard it all before (although to be fair it is usually Slimming World), however this time I mean business and it certainly seems to be paying off. WW have a new Smartpoints plan which works brilliantly for me and so I’m hopeful I’ll see some significant weight losses over the next six months.

The problem with slimming down is the fact that you can’t take your clothes with you. I’ve already lost a few pounds and if I lose too many more my jeans will let me down and I’ll be shamed on the school run for flashing my M&S belly-grabber knickers.

In the past, I’ve refused to buy new clothes when losing weight because of course I knew I’d be (hopefully) shrinking out of them. I’ve made do with what I’ve got (despite it looking too baggy) or hit the charity shop for some “in-between” basics. This time around I’m doing things differently. I’m not waiting until I hit goal before buying new clothes, I want to enjoy clothes and feel good about myself now!

This is of course where the Yorkshire/Irish mix in me (frugal leaning towards being tight when it comes to spending on myself) is in conflict with my “I want to look nice and have nice things” self. The answer…. Sale shopping!

One thing I do not do, or do as rarely as possible is go physically clothes shopping. I hate it! The queue for the changing room, the VERY unflattering lighting and huge mirrors coupled with that unique changing room smell makes it a nightmare for me, and one to be avoided at all cost.

This time around I’ll be hitting the online Vivienne Westwood sale instead of the charity shops or even the online Joules sale (if I’m feeling brave enough!). I’m making another new clothing change too, this time around I’m not going to keep my “big” clothes. They encourage me to slip into them when I gain a few pounds rather than keep slimming to stay in the new size (slimmers will understand what I mean!) so they have to go!

I’m quite looking forward to this next leg in the Grand Nicki Weight-Loss Journey, including (for the first time) designer clothes shopping online.

To keep me going (I’m determined!) share with me your top Weight Watchers or slimming down hints, tips and tricks!