2012 is going to be quite a frugal year for me financially (I’m saving for more important things than shoes for once!) so spending my Christmas money in the January sales is basically my last hurrah. After these purchases, I’m battening down the hatches and sticking to an ‘only what’s necessary’ approach to spending. I’m not saying I won’t buy anything this year, but I’ll definitely be reviving Frugal February and after that I’ll be sticking to those good habits at least 80% of the time, putting as much as I possibly can in the bank at the end of each month. Even with the sales I’ve tried to stear clear of the shops and only buy a few things online. Of those, I’m sure at least one or two will get returned. But while I wait for them all to arrive…here’s a look at what I bought!

40s tea dress with pintuck detail was £45 now £18 and blue midi dress in lace with seam detail was £60 now £32 both at ASOS.

The first dress I bought purely out of curiosity. It’s so ill-fitting around the chest on the teensy model that I thought it might be perfect for my big bust / small waist body shape. I don’t hold out much hope, but that ASOS premier subscription comes in handy when you want to try something and see! The blue lace dress is something I’ve had my eye on since it first arrived on the site, but I couldn’t quite stretch to the original price tag. I absolutely love the 40s shape and I’m hoping the fit is good enough to keep so this can become the first of my London Fashion Week outfits.

Bunny2 PU Stretch Thigh High Boots £20 (were £76)

I can tell you now that these will probably get returned, but at that price I couldn’t resist at least trying them. Thigh high boots scare me a bit, but having seen them on other people, I at least want to try them out. I think they might be one of those things that only work on very slim girls, but equally as I’m about 70% legs I thought I’d take a risk. I think they need to be worn in the right way – with jeans or a dress that covers the tops ( think Fergie, not Kim Kardashian) as I’m not ready to be Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman just yet!

Purple deco colourblock dress was £42 now £20 and Turquoise deco dress was £42 now £20 both Dorothy Perkins

Two very similar dresses that I couldn’t decide between, so I decided to order both and see how I get on. I’m unsure about the midi length of the turquoise one but I couldn’t find it in any stores to try on so I had to go online and take a chance. I worry it might look a bit frumpy on me teamed with the high neck, but at £20 I thought it was worth a shot. The purple I know looks good – I tried it in a 12 in store to get an idea of how it fits and the length, and let’s just say I definitely needed the 14!

Ruby Belle Princess dress was £50 now £12, Black Nightingale dress was £70 now £19 and Blue Valentino dress was £70 now £19 all from the Fever sale at Brand Alley

I can’t resist a Fever sale, and when dresses are at this price, I have to stock up, even if I could probably make the dresses in the time it takes Brand Alley to deliver them. I think these will be numbers 8, 9 and 10 in my Fever collection. You might think that’s excessive but it’s nothing on Roisin who seems to be wearing a new one in every photo! I know the fit will be good on a Fever dress, and the styles are quite timeless and generally good for work. I wasn’t sure about the Valentino dress with the fringing details, but having seen the pink one on Sian, I had to snap one up. Cobalt is one of my favourite colours for clothes, so I had to go with the blue.

Curvy Kate Tempt Me bra £16.95 (was £29) and high waisted brief £6.95 (was £14.50) at BraStop

If anyone can make a plunge bra that doesn’t dig in at the middle, it’s Curvy Kate. The brand is probably one of my favourite discoveries of the last couple of years. I had my eye on this set before Christmas, so when I saw it in the sale at Brastop I decided to give it a go. I love, love, love the retro style high waisted briefs.

Irregular Choice Oz Can’t Touch This shoes were £80, I paid £44.99 (now £49.99, oddly) at Schuh

I don’t have anything to say about these except how could I resist? They are absolutely insane, my mother would hate them, I’ve been scared to show them to the boyfriend for fear he’ll think I’ve lost my mind, but as far as I’m concerned, they’re shoes of wonder and I can’t wait to wear them. Look at the heels!