What Did I Buy Today?

Don't worry.  Despite my temporary weak moment in Target the other day, I'm still on my shopping ban and Penny Pinching Living journey.  Which is why I did break my ban for a teensy tiny second to buy this:

Buy yours from ModCloth

I know what you're saying...."You BOUGHT a book to tell you NOT to buy things??"  Hear me out.  Just like my Mom's Journal I picked up to keep track of my weekly menus, I like to have things written down, in person so I can look at them frequently.  Having something written down seems so much more tangible to me.

I keep track of our checkbook register, but I usually don't check it faithfully every single day.  I know a running total or how much I think we have in our account, but I don't worry about writing everything down while I'm spending it. I guess because the checking account is mine and Marty's both.  I can't keep track of everything he's spending as he's spending it.  But I can hold myself accountable.  I can keep this book and write down every single thing I've purchased that day.  Let me explain this book a little further....

When you first open the book, there's two pages:  on one, you write down your checking and savings totals. And if that isn't depressing enough, then you have slots to write down all your debts:  credit cards, mortgage, utilities, phone, TV, Internet, travel expenses, loans...*sigh*  It's nice to see everything in one place so I know what I have to conquer.  Of course I know all my debts and who they're to, but to actually see the entire totals written down all in one place is a scary thing.  It makes me want to knock all my debts out.

Then, the next pages are my favorite.  Goals.  One page is for small goals.  Easy things I want to accomplish quickly.

This is the spot for my goal to stop eating out more than twice a week (that includes getting a McDonald's Dr. Pepper).  Save money for a rug for our living room.  Save money for a couch.  Little things.

Then there's the BIG goals.

Save money to build my dream home.  Pay off credit cards.  Pay off loans.  Become debt-free.  I have lots of goals.  But they're all just floating around in my head.  Writing them out makes them "real" to me.

The rest of the book is filled with pages to write down my expenses.  Who it was to, how much--and my favorite--enough room to write WHY I bought it.  I've talked about it before...I'm an impulse buyer.  I convince myself in the second that I NEED that item.  I can't live without it and it will enhance my life in one way or other.  This book helps me write a reason for why I bought the item.  If I can't think of a reason, it goes back.  Plain and simple.  Or if the reason isn't convincing enough, it goes back.  The end.

I have a feeling this book and are going to be the best of friends.

It's Back, Back, Back...Back Again.....

I  have exciting news!  Well, I hope it's exciting to you too, because I'm pretty thrilled about it....anyways.....
Starting April 1st (sounds like forever away, but is only 3 short weeks!), I'm bringing my Rustic Elegance business back!  Hand painted signs, canvases, whatever your little heart desires.  Everything I painted before was painted by hand.  Now, I have a Silhouette Cameo machine to hopefully assist me and make the handwriting look more "precise" or "finished."  Of course, if you want a hand painted sign, I will gladly do that for you!  Here's a flashback at some of my previous projects:

Wooden signs: 

Canvas sets: 

Individual canvases: 

Fingerprint guest book tree (before and after):

If you're interested in prices or getting your own piece, let me know.  Can't wait!  

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.