My 7 week spending hiatus ended on the first day of the Easter holidays. I fully intended to go on a mad shopping spree while I was in Scotland as a reward for my efforts. However, once I actually got to the shops I realised I didn't really want to buy anything. There was nothing in particular that I needed and although I saw lots of things that I liked I didn't feel like parting with the cash that I'd been forbidding myself to spend for weeks. In the end I bought a couple of balls of wool and I saw a cardigan I liked in White Stuff which I'm going to try and copy by customising an old cardigan I already own. I also decided that instead of wasting my money buying clothes that I don't really need I'm going to save up for the next few weeks and splash out on a really expensive dress in a simple, classic style that I'll wear for years.
So overall the spending hiatus was a huge success. I didn't actually save that much money as we've had quite a few other necessary expenses these past few months (i.e. large solicitor's fees!). However, the more important outcome is that I've completely changed my shopping habits. I now think more carefully about what I'm buying and ask myself if I really need it or if there's a way I could make something similar myself. I'll definately be repeating the exercise in the future.
Here's a picture of my first unnecessary purchase in 7 weeks. I'm making myself a scarf which is about as much as my limited knitting skills can cope with!
