I wasn’t always a shopaholic, in fact for years fashion seemed to completely pass me by, as is evidenced by many a photo of me during my teenage years.

But despite being a late starter, since I discovered the joy of shopping and new clothes, I have never looked back.

As a student I remember many occasions when I would eat beans on toast for a week in order to be able to afford a new item of clothing.

It was also whilst I was a student that I learned the therapeutic properties of shopping. After a difficult lecture or particularly long (hour’s) seminar or completing an essay I almost always found myself rewarding myself with a new top or pair of shoes or something similar!

This mentality continued into my working life. If I’d had a long day or a long week or a long meeting at work I almost always found myself comforting myself with a new top or pair of shoes or something similar!

So for the last three years, since I graduated I have each month found myself splurging within days of being paid and living on beans on toast for the rest of the month.

This summer I finally decided that something needed to change. I couldn’t carry on living like a student when I clearly hadn’t been one for some time.

So on 11 July 2009 I decided to impose upon myself a six month shopping ban. To many this will seem like needless torture but I had my reasons. These were;

1. To save money - for a deposit for a house and to finish learning to drive before I'm 30!!

2. Because I was fed up with being told that I "have too many clothes"!! And was intrigued as to what was actually in my wardrobe - the stats say that most women only wear 10-20% of what they own, so maybe I can start wearing some of the remaining 80-90% of mine!!

There were to be a couple of exceptions to the ban, I could still buy;

1. Tights/socks/knickers – as I considered these to be essentials!

2. Maybe also, plain tees, but only when the ones I currently own are beyond use!

3. And finally, I was also beg/borrow/steal items when necessary and customise too - or rather get my little sister to customise or make me new things!!

That was four months ago now. So far, I have managed to stick to the ban and to the rules that I imposed upon myself in July.