Spending Freeze

Inspired by Joslyn at Simple Lovely, I've decided to go on a little non-essentials spending hiatus. My plan was to do February but that has been changed to February 2 - March 2. Um, because I forgot to start yesterday. Others are doing the hiatus for 3 months & I am planning on extending mine also. But I'm waiting to see how a few things go. Anyhoodle, here are my rules:

I can buy...

• groceries
• gas
• essential household items (toilet paper, cleaning supplies)
  
• essential toiletries (deodorant = yes, makeup = no)
  
• dog food & treats
  

I cannot buy...

• clothes or shoes
• home decor items
  
• magazines & books
  
• dog toys
• starbucks or fast food or vending machine snacks
  
• anything else that isn't on the "I can buy" list

Exceptions to the rules...

• the soft paws i forgot to order last week for my dog (these will save me money in the long run... trust me)
• the final issue of Domino Magazine (my subscription ran out 1 issue too soon)
• entertainment - movies, museums & other activities that add experience to my life, not things (limited to $50 month)
  
• dinner out (or breakfast or lunch) with friends or family (limited to once a week)

There are a few reasons that I'm doing this - the two main ones are, I have too much stuff & I need to spend less money. Too much stuff? Hell yeah. And I would really love to simplify but there is stuff everywhere I look. So much stuff that I can't find half the stuff I want when I want it. I never fully unpacked from 2 moves ago & have also had various never-ending construction projects that have moved things around. And so, things that normally would have left my life months (or years) ago are still around. And, it's just ridiculous. I've been slowly sorting through things & trying to organize stuff & getting rid of things. I'll be using this next month to really delve into that. It will definitely be easier to do when I'm not adding to the stuff. As for the spend less money, there are a few things I'm trying to save up for: a trip, a new car, an emergency fund. Plus, I don't feel I am paying off my debt as fast as I could be. I mindlessly roam Target & spend more than my allotted "me" budget... and then that extra money isn't where it should be when I go to pay bills.

And then there the other reasons... which I'm not going to get in to. But the fact is, my current home life does not fit my personality at all. I am not a pack rat (a clutter bug, maybe... but that is not the same thing), I have just been living like one for the past 2 years. Now I'm ready to move on & let my space reflect the real me again.

I think that's it... I will update my blog every Monday to share how this little experiment is going.