Maybe you were wondering why I hadn’t been posting much lately. Well, first, Mama’s busy. It’s hard to say “no, kiddo, I can’t read you a book, because I have to blog about myself and my grownup problems in Narcissian detail.” So, that will be my standing excuse. But the big reason? I’m actually kind of, I can’t believe it (don’t jinx it!) succeeding.
I’ve stocked up on groceries when they go on sale. I save $20 or $30 with every trip to the store by buying the sale items and using coupons. Maybe more important, I’ve started comparing prices, so I know when to jump on a great deal and when to say, “I can get that later at Trader Joe’s for less.”
I think I’ve turned a corner similar to the one when I actually succeeded in losing weight after Her Royal Cuteness was born. After being overweight for, oh, 15 years, I was just tired of it and ready to move on. I’m kind of feeling that way now with money. So I thought I was going to be posting hilarious stuff about my failures, big and small, I’m actually not flaming out the way I thought I would. Given, it’s only February and, ahem, I did slip and regain a lot of my weight, so I know complacency with money could cost me all I’ve accomplished, as it nearly did with my weight (hey, I’m still a lot thinner than I once was — I think I made it to about 5 months of this pregnancy before I hit my high weight).
for now, I have a (teeny) cushion in my checking account, all my bills are paid, I know what checks are hanging out inpendingland, and I have a full freezer of food.
I’m on a good pace to save my $5,000, but don’t worry, I’m continuing to look for good ideas for us all. So keep reading, please! I love hearing feedback.
Also, I have totally jinxed myself, right?
I'm a winner! I'm going with a more economical gold star, not a trip to Disneyland. Not yet, anyway.
February 7, 2010 at 9:44 pm
have you tried compacting? My son and I tried this for 3 months. We only bought items that were necessary, such as food and toilet paper. Essentially, we were forced to use what we had on hand and that was it. We also cancelled the blockbuster account. We turned off the TV 13 years ago so movies are our only way to “watch TV.” Guess what? the library has FREE ones! I learned to rip the paper towels in half so that they would last longer–did they ever! In the end, you learn to use less, own less, and thereby deposit less in landfills. It’s a win-win situation. That was 3 years ago and we never went back to blockbuster ($20/month X 3 years= $720). I dropped the calling bundle on my home phone plan ($16 X 3 years=$576). I can’t remember what else, but I don’t miss any of it. When you begin to purchase new things, think about how far they will go (A bottle of windex vs. an all-purpose cleaner that mixes with water such as Mrs. Meyers).
You’re on a roll—keep going! You didn’t jinx anything—once you feel the freedom of having a little padding in your checking account, it’s actually difficult to go back to being a spendthrift!
Here’s link to one woman’s post about compacting: http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/2006/10/09/let-the-compacting-begin/