Okay, show of hands – and let’s be honest here! – who thinks piano recitals are really boring? Sadly, even the best of them (like the one we went to last night) leave plenty of time for the mind to wander. That is, if one can stay awake.
Now, I don’t know where you go when your mind wanders, but I’ll tell you what I came up with during last night’s recital: a month by month plan of outfits to purchase. Not that I’ll necessarily hold myself to this structure, but it was an interesting diversion. The “thought train” went something like this:
what if my budget were large enough to buy a new outfit every month?
I still wouldn’t be able to buy just anything I wanted.
It makes The Budget Fashionista’s $200 per month look right reasonable!
And then I went on to try to create a month by month shopping plan to reflect my lifestyle pie chart. Here’s what I came up with:
- January:
- February: Spring leisure outfit
- March: a daytime dress (BTW, March is the perfect time to buy a dress. At no other time in the year will the selection be better.)
- April: Spring/Summer smart casual ensemble
- May: Summer leisure outfit
- June:
- July: stock up on basics (unmentionables) 😉
- August: Fall leisure outfit
- September: suit (business)
- October: Fall/Winter smart casual ensemble
- November: holiday social
- December:
Then, for the duration of the recital, I sat there and tried to figure out what the gaping holes in this plan were. And whether I could buy a whole outfit on my budget of $45/ month (probably not). And whether I should put “extra sweaters and warm gear” in January, or coats or underwear, and how often I realistically need a new swimsuit, and how it’s probably better, if this were a realistic plan, to just leave December empty.
Speaking of a realistic plan, here’s an idea for transforming a stressful recital evening into family fun:
after the performance, since we were all kinda dressed up anyway, we took the ladies for dessert at a restaurant which is far too expensive for a family dinner. We had the vanilla burnt cream along with a gorgeous view of the river.
So even if the month by month shopping plan is a miss, the dessert was a hit!
I sincerely love piano recitals and wish I could have joined you there. And for the dessert!!
As for the shopping plan, when is the best time to buy shoes and coats?
I like PLAYING the piano for people to listen, but listening myself? Naaah. I struggle with listening to the clunkers or feel inadequate because I can’t play classical.
That’s not a half bad idea Rebecca. I don’t have a budget though. I just get lucky here and there and keep in mind what I want.
Recitals are indeed more interesting when one is playing in them. Personally, though, I find it hard to listen to the other performers when I’m busy forgetting my own pieces.
Would jeans fit under “leisure outfits”? I wear either jeans or skirts ninety percent of the time, so for me I imagine they would.
Mom – it really was a good recital, you would have enjoyed it. But we saw several cars that were stuck in the snow on our way there. Actually, d & t almost missed it entirely for stopping to give somebody a push. They walked in during the second to the last performer and ours was last.
Anyway, about your question: I was thinking that if I had $200/month I would just buy shoes with each outfit. 😉 Realistically, though, shoes are typically on the six-month seasons; that is, Spring and Summer styles come out in February and Fall and Winter styles come out for Back to School. In my opinion, the best time to buy winter coats depends on how badly you need one. If you are definitely going to buy one, best to shop in October and hope for 30% off or so. If you just want to find a screaming deal, like my aubergine wool topper I bought a few winters ago for $40, now is a good time.
What are you looking for? Maybe we can plan a time (after it thaws) for you to come over and go shopping. 🙂