So as I’ve written before, Jess and I have been trying to embrace minimalism. Part of becoming more minimalist is being more aware of what you buy and how much of it you purchase. Earlier I completed a blog where I evaluated my last 5 purchases – the exercise was very useful and inspired my sister to do her own write up and here it is:

1. Black bodysuits

I actually bought 3 black bodysuits and I’ve returned 2 of them. It was my idea to make the theme for Vanessa’s hens ‘lace and leather’ so I wanted a black lace bodysuit to go with a burgundy leather skirt that I already have. I wanted a very specific looking black lace bodysuit. I bought 2 different ones here in the UK, but they didn’t look how I wanted them to look when I tried it on so I returned them. I couldn’t find what I was looking for on my usual online shopping haunts, so I turned to Polyvore. I finally found one that was exactly the look I was going for… only to find that it was from an Australian store. So to avoid the £9 shipping fee (and the VAT I would’ve had to pay to collect it when it did arrive in the UK) I sent it to mum and dad’s house instead! Unfortunately, that means I can’t try it on and the hens is the night after I land in Australia, so I still need to find a suitable Plan B option here. But I plan to buy something closer to the date so I can return it if Plan A works out fine. #firstworldproblems I know!

2. North Face windbreaker jacket & Merrell hiking boots

I have to group these things items together because I bought them at the same time for the same reasons. Nina invited me to a spontaneous weekend at the Lake District (Northern England) and hike with alpacas. The Lake District is one of the largest National Parks here in the UK, known for its beautiful lakes (hence the name), mountains and forests. I had always wanted to go, so I immediately said yes! Later I asked Nina if the hike with alpacas was a “serious” or “fun” – i.e. can I get away with my gym trainers and athleisure wear? She said the alpaca hike would just be a “fun” one, but we would be doing a “serious” hike on the first day. So not having anything remotely appropriate for a “serious” hike, I had to buy at least a windbreaker jacket and proper hiking shoes. I know these things are usually quite expensive, and I wanted to get reputable brands (but not pay full price either). I managed to get both on sale (both were at least 50% off) and in total cost under £100 for both items. The “beast from the East” brought a particularly bad snow storm across Europe the week prior, so the “serious” hike we did ended up being more precarious than it usually would be because the snow hadn’t yet melted away and in many places was still knee-deep. The hiking boots probably saved my life a half a dozen times on that weekend alone, so money well spent! I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend hiking through nature and reaching the top of the Catbells. It was a welcome change from my usual European city breaks. And now that I’ve got the proper gear, bring on more hikes!

3. ASOS oversized bomber jacket in black

This was definitely an impulse buy. I already have a regular (non-oversized) khaki bomber jacket. But I had a fashion epiphany that a black oversized bomber jacket would look really cool. I looked through ASOS and found one that I liked (except for that I wish the inside lining was orange). But I thought, I’ll just buy it, try it on and if I don’t like it, I’ll return it. I tried it on, and I really liked the fit and look of it, so even though I knew I shouldn’t, I kept it. I paid for it using my cashback, so it didn’t come out of my pay at least.

4. Return plane ticket to Seville, Spain with Ryanair

Travelling around Europe is a big part of why I moved to London, so I’ll never regret spending money on a plane ticket! There are so many places in Spain that I want to go to. I’ve only been to Barcelona so far, but Seville is on top of the list now. Prior to buying these tickets, I think I actually made money from flying with Ryanair. Between two flight cancellations and one 3 hour+ flight delay, I’ve received over £500 in flight vouchers and flight compensation. So who knows, this flight may still pay for itself down the line!

5. Britney Spears concert tickets

I remember back in 2008/2009 when Britney’s Circus album came out and she toured Australia, I really wanted to go! But all the girlfriends I asked to go with me said no because “she lip-syncs”. Months later, well after the tickets sold out, it came up in a conversation with Nina and I told her about my struggle to find someone to go to the concert with me, only to find a kindred spirit! She had been looking for someone to go to the concert with too, only to suffer the same rejection as I did! If only we had asked each other… sigh. Almost 10 years later and both of us now living on the other side of the world, what pops up on my Instagram feed: Britney’s Piece of Me concert is coming to London this summer!! Screenshot that shit, sent it to Nina saying ‘Interested?’…Of course she is, it’s Britney, bitch!! (P.S. this is the only time I’ve ever been grateful for Insta advertising)