Day 109: I should probably cancel my Nordstrom card now.

Yesterday, my dear frugal manfriend and I had a very productive day. We both had the day off work, so we went to the bank, gave his apartment a SERIOUS cleaning, he did all his laundry, and we went grocery shopping. (AND I was spoiled with homemade lunch and dinner...what?!)

Walking through the parking lot of the grocery store, I was having yet another meltdown about my life falling apart and how I'm not making enough money and...basically, being a brat.

He just smiles at me and says, "Don't worry about it, babe. You'll be fine. We're an ALDI family now!"

To which I whined, "But I want to be a Nordstrom family again!"

Sigh...I'm trying, but at least one of us has a sense of humor about all this.

Day 8: Can't buy love.

It doesn't take money to have a good time with these goofs. (These 3 are my nanny family, by the way!) We can read, or make crafts, or visit free parks or zoos. We can just hang out! They have plenty to say!

In the past, I've felt like we'd have more fun or, as silly as it sounds, they'd like me more if I bought them things or activities (including those butterfly wings...)

I'm not quite sure where I've come up with this theory considering my parents certainly didn't shower us with STUFF. I grew up in the era of "Go play outside!" if you were bored. And having an active imagination was encouraged!

They'll like me, with or without the crap.

Things are getting tough.

Without a doubt, socializing without spending money is the most difficult part of this Spending Fast. 
((I may or may not have faked a stomachache and gone home early this weekend to avoid the temptation to spend money at the bar ::womp womp:: ))

I don't want to go into hibernation mode because I'm being a cheapskate, but I don't want to spend money either.

Help?

DAY 1!

Happy 2013, everyone! I love new beginnings. Everything seems fresh, like a do-over of all the mistakes you may have made in the past year (or years.) They've been wiped clean. And now you can do things differently!

Except that old habits die hard.
Today is Day 1...and what I should have done is STAY HOME. There's no temptation in my cozy bed.

Instead I found myself at a bar with my man, cheering on his Wildcats. (Ok, so in addition to my bad shopping habit, as a couple, we spend far more time and money in bars than we should. Even when we've been "hooked up" by our friends and co-workers we still spend over $40 a night without a second thought.)

SO here's the run down of how I did on this first day!

I brought my own mug of coffee that I made at home (1 point for Tiffany) AND I walked the 20 minute walk there instead of taking a cab (2 points...what? Are we not keeping score here?) I ate before I left so I wouldn't be tempted to order food, but the smell of fried deliciousness overtook my senses and the man bought me an order of chicken fingers. (Ok, I lose a point here.)
I didn't order any drinks (because I shouldn't drink before work and because drinks cost money.) But I did accept drinks that were given to me (Is that cheating?)

Then I walked home and made an early dinner before I had to be at work. Even though I was running late, I still managed to take public transportation to my job and be on time.
After work, I waited the extra hour and a half for my manager to get off so I could bum a ride home instead of taking a cab!
Then I patted myself on the back for being so resourceful :)

The running tally for January so far:
$700.36 (Rent/Utilities)
$0 Cash

If today is any indication of how the next month will pan out, I think I'll probably be saving countless money not taking cabs or ordering coffee out.

Happy NYE!

It is New Years Eve day... and rather than going out to eat and shopping and buying my last fancy coffee before it becomes criminal, I'm working. (Ok, I did go out and buy a fancy latte...and I savored it like they were the last espresso beans that ever existed.)

AND making a list of all the things that made 2012 really great.

1. My ManFriend. He's great. And handsome. And smart. And a laundry list of other positive adjectives. Plus he puts up with me, so that pretty much makes him a saint.

2. Donuts. We've had a great love affair this year. They're my new investment. And they are the reason I've put on an additional 5lbs of love.

3. Social media. Pinterest for my Martha Stewart habits, Instagram for when I'm feeling like Steven Meisel, and Printstagram for when I need to hold my work in my hands! (You know, in the real, non-Internet world.) 

4. I have the cutest job in the world. I dare anyone to find a cuter trio of siblings. I am so grateful that these are the people I get to spend my days with. So very grateful.

5. I seriously love taking the bus to get around. Is that strange? I hate driving and parking and the upkeep of being a car owner. The bus is easy and fun and I can read in transit :)

6. Searching new fonts online has become a new hobby for me. Why didn't I know this world existed before now?! It's so much fun! (And usually free!)

7. A tall person can lay down on my studio floor and touch wall to wall. But I love this charming abode; with it's step up into the bathroom, high ceilings, and 1 drafty half window. It's my own little chilly cave covered floor to ceiling in art and books and shoes.

8. Coffee. Either really hot or extra ice. I like 7-11 coffee as much as I adore Intelligentsia. 

9. Crochet projects. It's a skill I learned the basics from my grandma when I was very young, but kind of fell to the wayside until this year. This year I made so many gifts. I'm really proud to be able to give people something that I worked hard on.

10. Snail mail. From birth announcements and Christmas cards to Stylemint purchases, my doorman had his hands full with the amount of lovely mail I got this year.

11. My mom and sister keep my look fresh :) It sounds vain, but I'm so appreciative of them for doing my hair and for no charge. I see how much ladies spend to get their hair done, and if I had to pay for it I'd definitely still be a brunette! 

12. My friends and family. They are the glue that keeps me together and the support that let's me sparkle and shine. (That was a stretch of a metaphor, but I didn't have a picture of ALL my friends and family!) 

Here's to a fantastic 2013!

We got no money, but we got heart, heart, heart.

“Ok. don't panic. Don't panic. It's only a VISA bill. It's a piece of paper; a few numbers. I mean, just how scary can a few numbers be?” 

Show of hands: Who has seen or read Confessions of a Shopaholic? It's a light-hearted, beach read about the quirky Becky Bloomwood and her misguided love affair with her credit card. She's endearing and (arguably) quite likable.
Except that she's kinnnd of a compulsive liar and sort of selfish and has not an ounce of self control in her entire body.
However, anyone that has ever hidden unopened bills from themselves... or faked an accent when collectors call... or has bought a pair of $250 shoes instead of paying the gas bill... or has had a bad day and needed to buy something...just a little something...as a consolation... or...er..is this just me? :) Anyway, I find her completely relatable in the worst kind of way.

So here I am.
Up to my ears in debt.
Trying to start a new business.
And I am the queen of not following through. (I get bored, lose interest, forget about it, don't have time...I have a laundry list of reasons why...I embarrassingly have a million unfinished projects sitting around my itty bitty apartment.)

Here is my public declaration...
::drum roll::

January 1st begins the first month of my Spending Fast! I'll be using And Then We Saved as my bible! (Check her out!)

Simply put, I will not be spending money on anything I don't NEED. 
And similarly to Ms. Bloomwood, I can justify most of my "wants" as "needs"(ahem...$100 rabbit fur ear muffs...) The following is a very black and white, if not all-inclusive, list of things I will have to spend money on and things I just can't.

NEEDS! Things I will have to spend money on

Rent.

Utilities.

Phone bill.

Groceries. (comparative shopping, coupon clipping (!?) and researching deals rather than going to the fancy store that's only a stones throw away.)

Monthly bus pass/ public trans. (or walk! most everything I need is within a mile of me!)

Photo supplies. (done cost effectively and sparingly.)

WANTS! Things I can NOT spend my money on

Eating out.

Fancy coffee. (and the yummiest. :( )

Clothes/ Shoes. (learn to shop my closet and repurpose old items.)

New makeup.

Cute little notebooks.

Trinkets/ knick knacks/ tchotchke (AKA JUNK)

Books. (Get a library card! borrow or have a book swap with friends! some of these money saving tricks are so smack-me-in-the-head-DUH!)

Pretty paper.

Boxes of greeting cards. (already own a half dozen..)

Waxing. (they created razors for a reason, i suppose.)

Cabs. (I'm embarrassed at the amount of cabs I take.)

Home decorations.

Yarn.

Cupcake liners. (I don't know...I'm a hoarder of the weird variety. they ARE usually on sale :) )




Alright, seeing as my "wants" list is quite a bit longer than my "needs" list, now would be the time to wish me luck.