Acting My Wage.

This past summer, I embarked on a personal finance journey that was really successful for me and for my bank account.  I think it's time to dredge it out of the archives....with some slight changes.
Introducing:  Penny Pinching Summer LIVING!  

I'm bringing it back y'all!  It's time to start, as Dave Ramsey would say, "acting my wage."  Marty and I have had a pretty significant life change happen to us in the last couple months.  I eluded to it a couple of posts ago, but I think it's finally safe to say:  we're moving!  We're finally moving back home to Etown!  I'll go into more detail later, but we're leaving our little starter home for a bigger  home, more suited for our family and closer to the ones we love.  But with a new, bigger home comes new, bigger expenses.  Bigger utility bills.  Bigger problems.  Bigger upgrades and work I want done to make the house the one of my dreams.  And Marty and I can afford all this (obviously, or we wouldn't be moving in the first place), but I don't want to get to the point where we're scraping together our pennies and dimes because we've strapped ourselves down with a bigger mortgage.  So I'm taking the first step to discipline myself.  I don't have to.  I WANT to.  I'm the world's worst about buying crap I don't need.  I go to the grocery and I end up with probably $30 of stuff that wasn't on the list, I just felt like I needed it.  I go into a store and end up buying myself two shirts off the clearance rack because I felt like it was a deal I couldn't pass up.  I don't spend money with my head.  I don't logically think about what I should or shouldn't be buying.  I shop with my emotions...the worst kind.  I impulsively buy things, get them home and then later feel guilty about not saving the money for something more important.  I'm HORRIBLE about going out to eat.  Getting a Coke in the mornings.  Grabbing myself some breakfast.  Hitting the drive through for lunch because I was too lazy to get up early and make myself a lunch.  Well, no more.  Not only am I resurrecting the "Penny Pinching" idea, I'm going to put myself back on a shopping ban.  I did it a couple of years ago, and I was successful.  But I limited myself to not buying anything for myself--meaning new clothing, shoes, a pair of earrings.  I'm taking that a step further.  I buy NOTHING.  For 90 days.  Unless it's a necessity.  I spend absolutely no money except on groceries, necessities for the new house and necessities for Avery.  That's it.  No more little knickknacks at Kirklands or cute little home items at Target.  No more shoes from the clearance rack or craft items that I don't need.  I am going to start crafting and selling again when we get moved into our new house to make myself a little extra "cushion" money (a.k.a. I'm saving to treat myself to a new couch!), but if it's not a necessity for the specific craft I'm making, I won't buy it.  Now, here's where you come in.  Hold me accountable.  Ask how my shopping ban is going (and then be a shoulder to cry on when I tell you about an adorable purse I had to pass up).  Tell me about great deals and how to save money at the grocery (where I fail miserably at saving money).  Tell me where I can get good discounted clothing or deals on Avery things.  Let's make this a group thingy!  You share deals and penny pinching tips with me, and I'll do the same for you (here's my first--start by making  your own laundry detergent!).  And hopefully later, we'll both be in excellent financial shape and be able to brag about being debt free (hey, I dream big, okay?).
I'll leave you with a couple of Dave Ramsey quotes that are going to be my motivation for the next 90 days.

via

No, shoes.  I don't need you.  No, unnecessary Walmart crap.  I don't need you.  No, Marty.  We don't need to go out to eat tonight. Let me make dinner tonight.

Printing this off and putting it in my wallet.  Right by my debit card.

Goodbye Michaels and Target.  I'll see you in 90 days.