(song of the day: one of the boys, katy perry)

today is an exciting day. i'm finally presenting an article i've been working on for a while. and I seriously am going to print them out and keep them in my wallet. preferably wrapped around my wallet. these are the ten rules I consider (or aim to consider) before any purchase.
1. first rule, never buy something on sale that you wouldn't but full price.
i buy a LOT but i rarely buy things at full price. that said, i still get swayed by sale prices. i'm twice as likely to buy a simply because it's got a sale price attached. i have a whole collection of things back in that section of my closet i nicknamed "the graveyard."

2. any purchase of more than $100 must be slept on.
i borrowed this rule from glamour. $100 is still a bit much. i might pick a smaller number. maybe $50. often, i go into a store and think i've find something i can't live without...in EVERY store. if i see something i think i can't live without. i should take 24 hours to chill out and re-evaluate how i really feel in the morning. if i can't curb my craving i'll go back and get it. if it's still there, it's meant to be.

3. don't buy anything that requires you to buy something else.
this occurred to me. if you need a new camisole/belt to go with your new skirt, it's not much of a bargain. and unless we're talking formal wear, you don't really wanna buy anything that requires too much tailoring.

4. don't by anything that doesn't fit.
i truly think that makes anything look good is when clothes fit you well. i get swayed by sale prices and end up with a collection of sloppy looking shirts, that "will fit as long as i pin them" or "i might grow into." at 19, i don't really think i'll be doing much growing. and my sewing skills aren't getting any thing better either. if the last item isn't in your size, it's not really meant to be, now is it.

5. ALWAYS try things on. for a long time, in my shopping hayday, i didn't try a single thing. claiming that i was in too much of a rush. but if you're in a rush, you're usually too busy to make good wardrobe decisions. and also...

6. only buy the things that make you dance in the chnge room.
this is another one i read on glamour a few months ago, but it's really helped me lately. when you try on a shirt/dress/pair of pants, and you do that little wiggle in the change room because you know it looks that good, that's the item you wanna buy. i can't count the number of times i've bought a trendy item that no doubt looks good, but does nothing for me. it's the items that make me dance around that i end up getting the most out of.

7. if something comes in, something comes out. i've always like the idea of this rule in theory, not so much in practice. the next time you want to initiate another item into your closet, ask yourself if you'd be willing to part with another item to get it. and then you're supposed to actually do it! it would definitely keep your closet from becoming overwhelmed. but you know how much trouble i have throwing things away.

8. consider cost per wear.
this is always a good thing to keep in mind when you're purchasing everyday wear. divide the price of the item by the number of times you think you'll wear it. i think it's best to spend money of things like bras, shoes, watches and handbags. timeless items that will increase your style quotient no matter what. plus for these type items that you wear everyday, the cost per wear will basically be nothing!

9. pay with cash.
this one's a lot easier said than done because i almost never have cash on me. but swiping my visa/debit is a lot easier. but at the same time you don't even notice how much you're spending. and sometimes i like that, but lately it's been getting me in to trouble. lastly...

10. don't go it alone.
i'm not gonna lie, i kind of need a shopping babysitter, more than anything. but it might not be a bad idea to shop with a buddy. an honest one, who can tell you what looks good and what doesn't, what you should spend money on and what you shouldn't. my friend R and my sister K are really good at this. don't forget to return the favour!!

i've actually got enough to make two posts on this. maybe i'll come back to it! and hopefully one day i'll be able to add "reformed shopoholic" to my profile. haha. what things do you take into consideration before you buy something?