This Life, Redefined...: Let's see what I can do...

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Let's see what I can do...

Last week, a friend mentioned that her spending was getting out of control. And she wasn't just talking about shopping for clothes and accessories, but also make-up and nail polish and Starbucks and household things that she just didn't need. And to 'reset' her habits, she had decided to begin a year-long no-spend adventure, starting November 1st.

And, well, I was impressed by this. Inspired, even.

You see, I have a job that I like well enough. And working in this job leaves me with some disposable income that I like to spend on useless stuff. But, despite mostly enjoying what I do, I still have it in my head that at some point in the next couple of years, I would like to be a stay-at-home-mom. And to do that, I need to make sure we can make ends meet as a one income household, which we should be able to do, if I can manage to cut out the previously mentioned useless stuff.

So, I'm doing just that.

I'm too scared to commit to the full year that Christina is taking, but I'm going to use these last two months of this year, when my shopping is usually at its worst (I am a 'one for you, one for me' kind of Christmas shopper, sadly...) to see what I'm made of.* I need to see if I can rediscover the line between what I actually need and what I just really, really want, because I know it's there, but I've lost track of it. And then, just maybe, I can officially declare 2012 the year of no-spending.

Wish me luck!

*Also, it should be noted, I'm already failing in my attempts, because I'm making a pre-established exception for Black Friday. We're talking a midnight trip to the outlet mall, and I just don't want to miss it. But other than that? NOTHING!

Dress: Loft

Cardigan: Banana Republic (outlet)

Boots: DSW

Bracelets: Mango

Earrings: Banana Republic (outlet)

10 comments:

ChristinaNovember 10, 2011 at 12:13 PM
You can do it! I've become so focused that it's getting easier. Like HAHAH! I dont NEED you, diet snapple. I don't know, it works. Your story is very similar to mine, I had that job, some of my own fun money and then I quit to stay home, and, kept spending. While it's not put us in the poorhouse, I'd rahter have a new kitchen and fence my yard and go on vacations. So, for me, it's also about getting my priorities back into line.
We can do it!
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Style JourneyNovember 10, 2011 at 12:26 PM
Good luck! I keep trying to do a shopping ban and I have absolutely NO will power! I know my spending is out of control when I can't think of a darn thing to put on my Christmas list, except an apple cutter, lol!

Cute sweater and tights. Where did you get the tights? You didn't list them. Heather
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RebekahNovember 10, 2011 at 1:12 PM
I really like the 2-month plan idea. I might have to do the same. The year-long plan, though...I couldn't do it.
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AnonymousNovember 10, 2011 at 1:40 PM
I really need to sign on to an official plan like this. I haven't worked since we brought our second child home from Africa last September, and I have already had to cut back big time...I agree though that it would have been easier if I had started cutting back before I stopped working. So, I think you're definitely headed in the right direction!
So glad you posted the pic of the tights--SO cute! I love the dress too:-)
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rlutzNovember 10, 2011 at 3:43 PM
Such a fun outfit...love the mix of the argyle tights and the striped cardi. I am trying the no shopping for things that are not "needed", we can support each other!
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ViktoriaNovember 10, 2011 at 7:23 PM
You can so do this!! I went five months this year without spending a dime on myself. It felt soo good when I finally treated myself. :) Good luck!!

PS- Cute dress!!
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EmilyNovember 10, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Hey pretty girl! You look beautiful in these pictures.
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TiffanyNovember 12, 2011 at 9:03 AM
That's awesome, Tara!! You can do it! =) I got off the wagon this weekend and thrifted myself quite a few cute pieces of clothing, but I'm back on until the day after Christmas!

Of course, you look beautiful!
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ClaireNovember 12, 2011 at 11:36 AM
great tights! and i think it's really great of you to do that. i really need to stop spending so much too. i'm in love with shoes and i feel like i'm just frivolously spending on those sorts of things. i do mostly stick to clearance and thrift stores, but still. anyway, that's very inspiring. good luck!

spinning-threads.blogspot.com
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oomph.November 14, 2011 at 1:13 AM
love the patterned tights and boots! good luck on the shopping freeze. i did that after mini-he was born...but i'm really making up for it now, to the point of out-of-control. i seriously have no will power. plus, this year i actually have black friday off. WATCH OUT! lol.

[oomph.]
What's the next line? Help write the story!
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2014 List

1) Send more mail...thank you notes, birthday cards, and 'just because' messages.

2) Be nicer, in general, to my husband and family. They deserve a much less crabby me than the one they were stuck with for most of 2013.

3) Make more of an effort to communicate with the long-distance people in my life. I got away from facetiming with my sister on a regular basis, and I miss it. Plus, now that she's making me an aunt, I think it's even more important that we get back into the habit of seeing each other every week. I do not need her new baby asking 'are you SURE you have more than one sister?', just because Aunt Mary lives in Indiana and Aunt Tara lives all of the way in Georgia.

4) Call or email or even text my friends from college more than I do now, which is hardly at all. Just because we can pick up after not talking to each other for months like no time has passed at all does not mean I should keep letting all of those months pass without the talking. I'm afraid the picking back up can't keep happening in a friendship like that.

5) Do one fitness/health related challenge each month. - You know all of those '0 to 1,000 sit-ups in just 30 days!!' kind of schedules that pop up on Pinterest all of the time? I'm going to start doing those. One each month. Fifteen minute plank? I'M COMING FOR YOU. I'm also throwing my meat-free/sugar-free/alcohol-free months in this category, as well.

6) Run another organized 5K. - It was so much more fun than I expected. Minus the running up a hill part, anyway.

7) Renew my vows with Steve, in Vegas, by Elvis, for our 10th anniversary in October.

8) Create an art wall somewhere in my house.

9) Organize a workspace for me

10) Attend The Blathering in Seattle. - Charleston was such a great time, I'd love to make it back for the Seattle trip.

11) Read at least two books a month.

12) Take Brigid camping.

13) Find a yoga studio and start taking classes regularly.

14) Write something, anything, not blog related.

15) No spending money on new clothes this year. Using gift cards and rewards points are fine, but I need to get out of the habit of spending money on new stuff, just to make myself feel better. I swear, shopping is my addiction, but the high I get from buying a new sweater probably isn't enough to justify the amount of money I spend on clothes I don't need.

16) No buying anything at all unless I absolutely need it. I have a bad habit of stocking up on things at sales (candles, lotions, make-up, beauty products), even if I have a cabinet full of the same stuff already at home. I will use the cabinet full of crap before I add more crap.

17) Be more consistent in updating my family blog, because my parents give me a hard time when I let it lag, and my personal blog, because I'm not as happy with myself when I let it lag.

18) Find a general practitioner and get a physical.

19) Post at least one picture a day on Instagram, to get myself into the habit of taking more pictures of my sweet girls, since I find entire events have passed where I've forgotten to photograph said events. Like Christmas. Sadly.

20) Get a haircut. - You can laugh at this one, if you must, but I did not get one single haircut in 2013. In fact, I haven't had a haircut since before Caitlin was born in November of 2012. I do not even know how this happens, but I know it must end. Soon. I think a Locks of Love kind of donation might be in order. My hair, it is long.

21) Make an effort to get to know the neighbors. - I tend to not get dressed/leave the house on the weekends, and this extends to not fraternizing with anyone who lives near me, because I'm afraid people will judge me for my make-up free, sweatpants clad weekend laze. I should probably get over that.

22) Write more thank you notes. - I am terrible at writing thank you notes. I should not be so terrible.

23) Buy new rugs for my new house. - The sunroom and foyer, in particular, need something fun.

24) Be more fearless in forming and maintaining relationships. - There are many times where I think of something I want to send to someone, whether it's an email, text, card, or what have you, and I don't, because I'm afraid I've maybe overestimated whether we have the type of friendship where I can do something like that. I don't want to worry about stuff like that anymore.

25) Put together an Advent/Christmas activity calendar for Brigid and Caitlin. - I did that for Brigid when I was home on maternity leave after Caitlin's birth, and it was so much fun. I didn't get the chance to do it this year, and I feel like I missed out on some part of the excitement of the season. I'm bringing it back.

26) Institute a once-a-month date night with Steve. Or date lunch, I guess, if necessary.

27) Institute a once-a-month girls' night, whether it be with my old college roommate, my SiLs, or the neighbors. I should get out of the house at least once a month with people who do not live in my house.