#11

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Another item checked off my list.  I went the entire month of February without shopping.  Although I technically have roughly 7+ odd hours until the month is officially over, most stores will be closed in about 4, and quite honestly, I will likely be asleep in about 3.5, I'm going to call this one officially complete.


Of course, there were a couple of things that I did differently than I expected, but since I make the rules around here, I decided that was okay.  First, I came to the conclusion that food didn't count as shopping.  Seriously?  What was I thinking.  And so I did go to the cafeteria for the occasional breakfast sandwich (why do I love them so?), I also thought twice before I went and got one.  Second, I cheated...sort of.  I was invited to two baby showers in February, and just because I was doing a month of no shopping didn't mean that I could show up to the showers empty handed.  So although it would be nice to go an entire month without spending ANY money, truthfully, this was about not spending money on myself.  And that is what I did.


One thing that surprised me was that I wasn't tempted to spend - even a gift card.  And I even went to the mall and to Target at various times during the month (where bargains usually trip me up).  Overall I felt like the month was pretty easy, and although at this time I don't plan to extend one month into two, I could definitely see challenging myself with this again.
You may remember that Byron offered to do this challenge with me.  He barely lasted a day.  No offense honey, but you just didn't share my convictions, and I knew that would be the case.  It's okay - I still love him.


Ultimately, there was a big lesson that I learned.  And that is to question what I really think I need.  It really isn't that much.  So between the no shopping month, the purging that continues, and the resolution to get more organized, I'm hoping that these are all ways I am training myself to simplify.  And THAT is something I truly desire...for the long term!

February is the month of...

Remember my 30 before 30 list?  I think I only have one item crossed off so far (hey - several more are in progress!), and this month I turn 29.  So...basically time is ticking away and I need to start making progress.  So here goes one.  February is the month of NO SHOPPING!
What this means to each person could be different, so here is what it means to me.  Expenses like gas, groceries, bills, and other necessities are not included.  I need to live people.  Although we say we are going "grocery shopping" it is not quite the same as a Target run, just to pick up a few things...then you end up with 20 in your cart.  Can anyone relate?  One thing I will try to do this month is to focus on real, healthy food, and not some of those extras we don't need but sometimes come home with.  What else does no shopping mean to me?  No breakfast runs to the cafeteria at work or mid-afternoon runs to the vending machine.  And absolutely no spending at the mall, the craft store, the home improvement store, etc.  I will admit, I haven't exactly figured out if this means no going out to eat.  If it were just me, I would say that absolutely is out, but my that means my poor husband is stuck at home for an entire month.  So we'll see.  I also have a few gift cards from Christmas, and I haven't decided if those are off limits, either.  I am leaning toward just not going there.  Although I wouldn't be spending real money, I would still be shopping, so those will likely stay tucked in my wallet for at least another month.
Another question I ask myself when doing this is what am I trying to accomplish?  Well, I guess I have two main reasons.  The first is an issue of discipline.  I just want to tell myself that I can do it, and then prove to myself that I was right.  The second reason is that I'm already a pretty frugal person in general.  But I love to talk about budgeting and saving money.  Sometimes I read articles and books for fun about how to save for the future or get out of debt, and the strategies are usually talking about cutting expenses that I don't generally have.  So I just want to use this as an exercise to see where the excess is in my life, and if I had to cut something out, I would know that I could.
That seemed like a long explanation.  So far, I am 5 days in, and although the smell of a breakfast sandwich tempts me every morning, I am surviving the challenge.  I have just over 3 weeks left.  Sometimes that seems like eternity, and sometimes it is no big deal.  I will check back in when the month is over to report on how I did.  Until then, wish me luck!

Note:  I know that money and spending habits are extremely personal and I am in no way trying to impose my beliefs and habits on anyone else.  Please read this with a grain of salt and know that this is just something I wanted to do for myself.