Last Friday night was just like all the Friday nights before it. I made plans with my friends, and, like always, we agreed to go out for beer and dancing. And like every other weekend, I hung up the phone, and panic set in.

"What am I going to wear?"  "Not that dress- I just wore it last month because somebody might recognize it."  "My new black skinny jeans will be too hot to wear dancing; those won't work."  Then reality sets in that I have NOTHING to wear!

Usually when I find myself in this situation, I head to the mall. I pick up a few more outfits to get me through the weekend. Just in case.

But, last Friday night I didn't have time to run to the mall. So I went into "survival mode," and told myself I was going to have to find something in my closet that would work. 

I started to shuffle through the hangers, and the rack kept squeaking from all the weight it was holding.  I came across my hand-stitched blue and white sailor shirt from Indigo boutique.  I've never worn it, but it wouldn't work for tonight. 

I must accept the clothes I cannot change, avoid the things I cannot afford and be savvy enough to know the difference. I came across the pink BCBG shirt-dress I've only worn once, and thought it could work with some black leggings and pumps, but no, that style is so last season.

This pattern continued, and every few hangers I came across an item that I'd bought and never worn, or have worn once, but the memories associated with it keep me from wearing it again.

At the end of each year, I go through my expenses to see what I spent the most money on. In January, I discovered from my 2008 receipts that I had spent nearly $2,000 on clothing, jewelry and accessories.

Two grand is practically a new wardrobe for some, but even worse for me, it's nearly a third of my yearly income. I'm almost fearful of how I will handle my funds once I graduate in May and I'm completely on my own. With a journalism degree, I can almost guarantee that I won't be able to spend much on clothing.

In the meantime, I'm going to have to figure out how to kill this shopping addiction of mine.

This Friday, I'm going to go shopping, but this time, it'll be in my friends' closets. It only makes sense that if I'm only going to wear something once, I should just borrow it. I'm going to think of it like getting a new outfit for free.

My clothes represent where I've been, and who I've become over the last years, but I'm continually changing and experiencing new things. Along with this, my clothes have changed, and I think this is okay.  Sometimes, humans discard memories they choose not to remember. When it comes to my clothes, 'discard' isn't a word I'd use in the same sentence.

With graduation quickly approaching, I'm going to have to learn a little reluctance when it comes to shopping, and a little acceptance when it comes to my past. I must accept the clothes I cannot change, avoid the things I cannot afford, and be savvy enough to know the difference.