Yesterday, after not spending any money the entire day, I decided that I would try to put a ban on my shopping for this entire month. The rules for spending are as follows:
1. No new clothes, shoes, or accessories
2. No new home goods, even things for my new desk
3. No new beauty products (except to replace things I've run out of)
4. No books or magazines
5. No electronics
6. No eating out, unless it's with someone else ($100 limit for the month)
I decided to do this because I'm not going to be receiving a paycheck for most of the month, and I want to save up for September which will be particularly spendy since I'm probably taking 3 separate trips to Michigan to see my boyfriend.
The ban will only be 30 days, and at the end I'm planning to reward myself with two pieces of clothing that I've wanted for a few months for the fall. That'll count towards my clothing spending for September, of course, which I'm planning to limit to $200 a month (for now). I just started a new job, but luckily I work for a company that has a pretty casual dress code, which makes shopping for clothes way easier. I don't have to worry about having separate clothes for work and for my days off.
For this month, I'm trying to focus on appreciating what I already have. I don't need anything right now, which is what makes this the perfect month for me to attempt this challenge.
Anyways, I'm hoping that will teach me to think twice before spending money. A large part of me is doing this just to prove to myself that I can. What I want the most is to come out of this is for me to be more mindful of my spending. Last night I was told about this really incredible sale, but ended up not buying anything because I've done this a hundred times - where I buy something because it's cheap, and because I think it's "good enough", only to want the original version of what I wanted later on. I'd rather make a very specific list of what I want, and then buy it when I find it at the best price.
One of my favorite recent purchases from the past few months was a Delsey suitcase. I decided I wanted it last fall, but I didn't want to spend $250 on it. For my birthday, I was tempted to ask for a $80 alternative which was (according to reviews) of much worse quality. Instead, I waited a while until I found it for only $130. It looks amazing, is made really well, and I couldn't be happier with it. I want to approach all of my purchases this way. I don't mind SPENDING money, but I really hate WASTING money. And I don't like filling my apartment with cheap crap.
