Some time last year, my friend Stacie sent me a photo of a magazine page given over to an ongoing series that tracked stylists on varying monthly shopping budgets, pointing out that one stylist was allocated $2000 a month. 

via GIPHY

(Where do I sign? Which limb will you need?)

I'm sure there are people out there making that kind of coin and good luck to them but it made me wonder exactly who else in the non-Kardashian world has a $2000 per month clothing budget. Because "budget" implies some sort of allocated funds or limit whereas $2000 sounds like what I'd spend in five years or so. 

Being dyscalculaic, I have no concept of cumaltive costs (which can be dangerous upon arrival at the check-out) so I really have no idea how much I would spend in a given year on such items. While I op shop and bargain hunt like a machine, does it all really add up? 

Like any normal human, I turned to Google for some answers. This research reckons the average Australian woman spends $834 a year on clothing (I'm not sure if this includes shoes, surely not??) and according to this article, Australians spend more on clothes than anyone else in the world per capita. Well, that's not hard, given how MASSIVELY EXPENSIVE everything is here and how much we get ripped off for anything even vaguely nice. 

Ranting aside, I've decided to track my expenditure during 2016 and find out exactly how much I am forking out on my shopping habit, keeping you all up to date as I go. I can claim it as a resolution. Yay! No more vague, non-specific guilt about not exercising!

I have a handy spreadsheet set up and I'll also note anything like returns and free stuff that is given or gifted. I don't intend to curb my habits but I do intend to think harder and longer about purchases and not buy anything unless I really like it and it looks great, taking my own advice about Shopping With Success.

So what have I bought so far?

Well, as of today (15 January), I got this cool library-print Retrolicious dress from SWOP Clothing Exchange. Brand new with tags. It was priced at $25 but actually, it was free for me because I had earned credit from items I'd brought in and I had a birthday gift card from Jen. Plus I still have $28 to spend there! Free money! Yay!

I was given this BNWT Best & Less top from Stacie:

And I bought two tops from Kmart yesterday for the princely sum of $7 each. No photos yet.

Total expenditure for the year: $14 for four items. 

Pretty good, eh?

Tune in towards the end of each month for the updates!

How much do you reckon you spend a year on clothes? Any idea? Do you have a budget or do you just go for it?