May 5, 2008

On a Spending Fast


There are just such great ideas out there in blog-land. I'm fascinated with the things people come up with and find great motivation in the ideas of others.
One of my new favorite blogs is called My Simpler Life and I knew I'd enjoy it once I read her slogan for her blog: "Creating a simple, fulfilled, joyful life." Isn't that really what we all strive for?
Beginning May 1st, the blog began a "Spending Fast" -- not spending any money for "wants" but for necessities only. No impulse buying, no unplanned buying, etc. I've joined just to see if I can do it. I'm a lifelong impulse buyer, but have recently been trying to be more frugal in all my spending. This will just motivate me that much more.
Another thing I found very helpful on her blog is her free Declutter Calendar. Print it off, hang it on your refrigerator, do the daily task and you can only benefit, whether you're a clutter-bug or not. Today's 15 minutes is spent in the "hobby area" -- and it never hurts for me to spend 15 minutes cleaning my quilt room! You can download one month at a time, but be sure and download the sheet that contains her tips - I found some very useful ideas there!
So my report on my spending fast - Since May 1st I've spent $0 on unnecessary items.
I went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $31. That was for perishable items and cleaning items we needed to restock only. I brought a list and stuck to it. Certainly better than my old $130 to $140 a week come h*ll or highwater grocery shopping days.
I also purchased a $300 Kroger gift card. Krogers gives you an instant 10% if you buy a $300, $600 or $1200 gift card. Since I shop almost exclusively at Kroger, it made sense to take advantage of their offer. I certainly don't get 10% on my checking or savings accounts from my bank!

3 comments:

Beth Dargis said...

Wow you are doing great!!!

And thanks for mentioning my site.

MT said...

Hi Joan -- thanks for commenting and sharing the good news about Kroger's 10% deal at The New Frugal Mom.

Your grandson is a dolly! My youngest just turned 2 in January and he would love his own camera...so would his brother and sister! Gmas can say yes to those fun things!

Thanks for dropping in and hey hey from Lebanon!

Andrea @ Mommy Snacks.net said...

I just saw your comment on The New Frugal Mom. And, I'm your neighbor too (I'm the one Marianne refers to as the BB Blogger).

Anyhoo - I wanted to comment on your spending fast. We went on a cash-only diet in April and did pretty good (thanks to some of my survey cash-outs). We did one in January too which sounds a lot like your spending fast - no outside purchases period other than what is written in the budget. Good luck!