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!
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