I have really enjoyed adding this feature to my blog. It's not only holding me accountable with my spending, but it also feels a bit like coming clean each week. There is nothing more refreshing than airing your dirty laundry! My Pretty Pennies is taking a blogging-vacation this week, so I reached into her files to find myself a Spending Survey to take.
1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on _____________________. $99 at my local Maurice's store. The company graciously sent me a pair of Jeggings to review ( they are an amazing company to work with) and they were the wrong size! When I stopped back by the store to get a bigger size, I ended up trying on half of the store. I had a few coupons and ended up getting 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of leggings, 2 belts and 4 shirts for $99 total. I feel like I got a good deal, but swiping any card when the numbers are that high always makes my heart race a little.
2. Today I feel _____ about money. Torn. My new budget plan is working wonderfully and I really feel in control of my finances. There are a few house hold things I need to get this week however that I've been dreading. Some stools for our kitchen will be a great addition, but I want to make sure that it is money well spent. Spending $30 on a pair of shoes never stresses me out, but when it comes to furniture, I can't help but feel like spending that same amount is a large purchase.
3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was ______________________. Attended an amazing wedding! Of course there are the hidden fees of the dress, the tips and things you pay for all of the prior events ( Bachelorette, Shower, Rehearsal) but the few dollars spent were very well worth it! We had an amazing time. The bride and groom put on a fantastic party and I managed to dress for all of the activities without having to buy whole new outfits. (I'll be doing a follow-up post in the near future!) Congratulations to the Lovely Bride and Groom!
4. I will consider this week a success if I _____________________. Put some money into my Savings Account. My new Budget has made paying bills very organized and along with that has helped me establish a bit of a routine. Having no bills sitting in a pile waiting for me at the end of the week is great, but I haven't yet been able to put any money into my Savings. I want to start being able to put away a bit each week, and hope I can add that to my Money Schedule starting this week.
5. Would you rather own a lake house, a beach house, or a mountain house? _______________. Technically, my family already owns a Lake House, which can also count as a Mountain House. Years ago, my great great grandparents purchased some land on the Great Sacandaga Lake, and built a small home for their family. My summers growing up were spent up at the Lake, and my cousins and I would entertain each other for hours swimming in the water and running back up and down the hill to the house. My grandparents a number of years ago tore down the small 4 room house, and built in it's place their dream home, a Lake House. It is not only their dream home, but also the perfect home for our family. Summers are still spent there with various family members stopping by each weekend. Since the Lake is nestled in the Adirondack's, I am lucky enough to have a Lake/ Mountain House. There is nothing quite as special as knowing that your kids will be able to have some of the same great memories as I did as a child. .
Outside of tracking my spending a bit differently, and following a different budgeting plan, I have made a few other changes when it comes to shopping. I have started an inventory sheet that I keep in my purse. On it I have listed some of the items from my closet. The idea is that when I find myself shopping, I can pull out the list to make sure I'm not just purchasing duplicates. I used to keep a wish-list in my purse, but found it to easy to stray from the list. Buying a white Tee when I have 6 already listed in ' Inventory' however is not as easy to justify. It helps to make sure I'm not going a little crazy with a particular category in my closet.
Another new thing I'm trying is to keep a hand-written shopping cart instead of an online one. Whenever I visit websites, I can find it to easy to impulse shop and add things to my cart with-out really thinking about how they can benefit whats already in my closet. I see the sale price, I click the little button and the item is added. I've started adding things I'm interested in to the webpages shopping cart, than writing them down on a piece of paper (with item number) and clicking out of the page. If a few days later I'm still thinking about everything on the list than I know it is a smart purchase. I tend to find that a few days later I'm only thinking about one or two items from the list and I feel confident enough to leave the rest of the items behind.
Are there any new tips or tricks you've been trying to help manage your shopping?
1 comment:
I love this post - and I was physically nodding my head to many of your statements. I need to start paying more attention to my sartorial spending and actually decided to start a strict budget to keep myself in check - and make sure what I'm purchasing is well-considered.
I love the tip on writing down your wish list instead of just adding pieces to the cart. I tend to work on posts in the morning and come across way too many pretty things. Many times, I find myself making an unexpected purchase! I've found that even if I just close the window, go to work and come back to the item in the evening, I'm much less enamored.
Post a Comment