Adventures in Debt

Enter the Lab This morning I took a look at my laundry basket and saw that it was starting to get full. I debating running a couple of loads of laundry, but then stopped. Did I really need to do the laundry today? I mean, I have a closet full of clothes, and two dressers chock-a-block with clothes, and yet my laundry basket was already full. Then the light bulb went off: the Great Clothing Experiment!

I am going to see how long I can go without doing a major load of laundry. I’ll probably have to do one at some point with socks and related sundries, as I don’t have a ton of those, but as for the rest, I can definitely wait. Most of us have a lot of clothes, but then only ever wear the same 5-10 pieces. This way I’ll get to rediscover my wardrobe and see what else is in the closet. I’m actually quite excited about this, to see how long I can go. One of the best fringe benefits of this experiment is that it will save me money. In my new building, a wash is $1.60 and a dry is $1.80, so the money disappears quickly.

As of today, it has been 6 days since I’ve done laundry.

I read a story in the newspaper yesterday about a woman who decided not to buy any clothes for one whole year. She talked about the joy of discovering a cardigan sweater at the back of her closet, and about how she was excited and figuring out what outfits she could create with it. Normally she said she would have immediately discarded the idea of wearing the cardigan, but because she didn’t have anything new to wear, she started to consider it and her creativity flowed. I like that idea of sparking your creativity through something you already have. So I’m taking on the challenge and seeing how long I can carry on the experiment.