While retail therapy has certainly treated many work/life/relationship induced symptoms of stress for me in the past, it's never done much to cure the cause. Only when I started re-selling my unwanted clothes, many of which were former pick-me-ups, did I experience something altogether more therapeutic for the mind and the soul. In fact the euphoria I once felt with a new clothing purchase pales in comparison to the high I feel after each successful second hand sale. It's addictive - but absolutely in a good way.
Since I started out on my minimalist closet journey at the start of the year, I've sold 4 skirts and 11 dresses (some of which are pictured above), 7 pairs of shoes, 6 handbags, 3 jackets, 3 gold rings and a pair of gloves. I started out with just a few barely worn things and before I knew it I was hooked, pillaging my unsuspecting closet every couple of days to replenish my online listings. Now that most of the fat has been trimmed, I'm almost disappointed there's nothing much left to sell.
The proceeds, of which I am pleased to say were surprisingly plenty, all went into savings for my most exciting adventure yet: moving to Scotland to do my master's degree! Interestingly, when you start to declutter your life, you start to feel free to dream of bigger things. Instead of sponsoring material belongings, my hard earned pennies (and resale proceeds) are investing in experiences that will last a lot longer than a pair of Nine West heels. And with less things to worry about in your home - it's a silent burden you only discover when its gone - you suddenly have time to nurture your relationships and take perspective of your life and future.
So forget retail therapy and prescribe yourself some resale variety instead.
p.s. In addition to selling my own clothes I also sold some of my husbands and virtually all of our furniture and belongings. We even sold his skateboard to a very happy teenager.
SOME TIPS FOR SELLING
I used my local Gumtree to sell everything. Each item was photographed from all sides, had detail images of any areas of damage, and included evidence of the item's size (the clothing tab or under shoe markings). A thorough and honest advert will attract more interest and prevent time consuming questions from prospective buyers. Generally I sold everything for between 1/5 and 1/2 the original price depending on the item and its condition. I also sold some items together as a group and offered the buyer a bulk discount (which sometimes incentivised larger sales).
