Staying Strong

So far, I am staying on budget. My total spent for the year remains at $7. I'm allowing myself $25 per month during January and February.

And, you know what?

It isn't so bad.

I think it's kind of like being on a diet. The first week is the hardest, but once you make up your mind and make a lifestyle change, it gets easier.

I'm bringing less stuff into our home and, as a result, it's not quite as cluttered. I'm spending less time gone from the house, so I'm getting more done.

I read about these other women who are true homemakers and I really envy their lifestyle. (not envy in a negative way) They have their act together and cook and clean and maintain.

I'm still a work in progress!

This isn't easy!

In case it isn't difficult enough trying to lose weight, my "spending less" habit is also challenging. It's amazing what thoughts I come up with.

• "It doesn't matter if I do this or not."
• "I'll just not blog about what I buy."
• "What does it matter if I just buy _____? It's not a big deal."

Lies! Lies! Lies!

It does matter! And, I need to be honest about it, too.

Actually, I'm already seeing the rewards of it. Since my credit card purchasing has gone down, I will definitely be able to put more of my paycheck into our savings account this month.

What are my reasons for doing this? Two reasons. One is I really need to establish some kind of budget and learn to live in it. Second, our home doesn't need "stuff." Stuff requires time. Time to put it away, clean it, organize it, store it, etc...

I'm giving myself the gift of more money and more time to do other things.

Then why is this so hard??

Why are there amazing shoe sales going on right now?? I'm being tempted, but so far, I am staying strong.

The Flesh is Weak

and, therefore, I'm making up the rules as I go...

So, this is how it's going with me not spending more than $25 per month in January and February of this year.

I'm really being tested, people!

I met a girlfriend for dinner Monday night (her treat since this was for my birthday) and afterwards, she wanted to go shopping. We ran into a department store that I had already visited due it's amazing clearance sale. (I told about that experience here.) I found a cute denim skirt for summer marked down to $6. That happens to be in my budget, thankyouverymuch.

Then we went to one of my personal favorites: T@rget. I love that place! I wasn't going to buy anything. Then, we just happened to be in the shoe department. My recently purchased (in late 2007) shoes were now marked down by $10 since they were on clearance. I bought the clearance ones and will return my previously purchased ones, saving me money.

Or.

That gives me $10 "free" dollars to spend there since I won't really be spending anything extra, once I return my shoes purchased at full price. (Are you following my train of thought?) I found a centerpiece I "need" for my patio table on clearance for $10, so I am breaking even, right?

(If you're not following me, this makes perfect sense to me.)

Then, I found an awesome shirt. I, for some reason, just LOVE this shirt. It's the perfect shade of yellow for me to wear in the fall to Georgia Tech games. (Not to mention, it will look great with my $6 skirt, too!)

So, what do I do now? That price would eat up a lot of my monthly budget and it was only the 7th of the month.

I improvised. At home, I have two sweaters from Target and I remembered that I meant to return them, but didn't. That should be around $34 credit, more than enough to allow me to purchase the shirt and a necklace I found that looks great with it.

So, as it stands now, I have spent $7 this month.

And, I have no more returns to squeeze in, so I officially have $18 to spend the rest of the month.

All that math gave me a headache. I think I'll have to spend more time at home!

Not Spending 101

Don't go shopping!! Hello? How hard would that be? If I don't go "shopping," I won't end up buying stuff. Here's how Saturday went...

(My goal, in all things, is to be honest. I'm going to journal my experience with not spending - with my commentary - and you can feel free to think that I am doing OK or making excuses.)

So, I decided to stop at a local department store to look for my dad's bday present. I found a great deal on a new dress coat for him, which he certainly needs. Then, like a dummy, I wandered over to the women's section just to "look" for a "minute" because things were on "clearance."

So, this clearance sale? It was heavenly! I found nice white tshirts (both round neck and v neck) for...

$1.20.

Yes, people. $1.20 for a nice, thick tshirt. Plus, this store lets you keep their wonderful hangers. So, I purchased two tshirts for $1.20 each and got hangers that I love.

Then, I found a cute hooded sweater, with matching tank for $7.60. So, I got it, too.

I want to say, for the record, that I have a $10 gift certificate to this store (did you notice that $1.20+$1.20+$7.60 = $10 exactly? Coincidence? I think not.), so I did not spend any money except for the sales tax.

However, in this experiment, I noticed that it would not have been smart, in my opinion, (and this is my blog, after all) to have not purchased those white tshirts because that was a need and a great deal that would not be around later.

So, like a politician, I have changed my position on the issue.

Instead of spending no money until March 1, I am going to spend less than $25 per month.

(Just so you know, I just revised that sentence about 100 times. I started with $100 per month. Finally, leaving it at $25. I reserve the right to go back to $50. )

Here is my rationale:

• If I don't give myself some leeway, then that means if I spend $1, I definitely am not keeping my word. In my mind, why bother then? So, I am affecting my lifestyle greatly , but not making it impossible for me to succeed.

OK, that's where I'm at now. But, I haven't discussed Monday night yet...

Resolving

So, I decided to make one official New Year's Resolution.

I am going to try to not spend any money between now and February 29th.

That may sound weird at first, but allow me to explain. Obviously, I'll be buying groceries and necessary household items. My plan is to not "shop for fun" until March 1. I guess I could say I'm not shopping for myself until March. No cute shoes from P@yless, even with they're BOGO (buy one, get one half off). I've found the cutest london blue topaz earrings I want. Nope. Not getting them.

Truly, I have a hard time really keeping our home neat. We tend to have "stuff" and I'm not good at deciding where "stuff" should go so that it's out of the way, but I can find it when I need it. So, no more "stuff" coming into our home that isn't necessary.

We just had Christmas, so I have plenty of clothes. And shoes. Hubby even got me some very pretty amethyst jewelry for Christmas. So, I really don't need any more jewelry. (Even though I do want those aforementioned earrings, I don't need them.) I'm trying to convince myself.

Think about the impact it can have on our finances if we only bought necessities. I'm sure we could live on Hubby's income alone. Imagine that, saving my entire paycheck. Wow.

Obviously, there will be the occasional "extra." My dad's bday is later this month. Of course, he's getting a gift. Hubby and I plan a ski trip to North Carolina every year. We're still going. Although it will involve spending money, it doesn't involve bringing things into our home.

Truly, I'm not sure if my goal is to spend less or to have less "stuff," but I think it will be rewarding either way.

I'll keep you updated on how it goes.