the rules

1. i will spend money on items i need:

rent
utilities
gas
groceries
credit card payments
student loan payments

2. there is absolutely no reason for me to go to target.

my online banking has the ability to create a report that organizes your transactions. in doing so, i have the opportunity to see where i'm spending most of my money.

this made the "wants vs. needs" list a little easier to make...especially when you consider that i spent approximately $4000 at target last year.

target is my guiltiest of pleasures. i over spend...and there's a sense of addiction involved when it comes to target. it's like an alcoholics favorite bar...the place you feel the most comfortable getting trashed because you know no one will judge you while you're inside those walls. i walk in intending to just pick up the essentials--maybe i'm out of shampoo or face wash--and i walk out with $100 worth of crap.

but now i'm quitting. cold turkey. and i know target will be the biggest struggle for me throughout this experiment.

3. i will cut back on my use of make up/hair product.

my job requires me to be well-groomed, so i can't cut these out completely. however i plan to use them less, and eliminate them completely on the weekend. the intention is to make the purchases last longer.

4. i will not buy shoes or clothes.


this is a big one. but i have plenty. i have no need for new items. this is going to be h.a.r.d.

5. i will only see one movie a month in the theatre.

dustin and i are big movie goers. and in discussing this project with him, i made it clear that while i can't keep it from affecting him, i'm trying my best to make sure this is my project...especially since he opted out of the spending fast.

however, movies are our "thing" and eliminating them completely from my budget is simply unrealistic and would probably put a strain on our normally peaceful, happy life.

but there are ways for me to do the 1 movie a month and still save--matinee only and no movie theater treats.

6. no eating out

now, this is really going to be a toughy because dustin and i live together and my decision to only go grocery shopping and eat what we have in the house definitely effects him. and this project is a fast from spending, not an attempt to see how much i can get other people to pay for. no, i'm not going to turn down dinner invitations from dad, but in my world, food will come from the pantry. and we'll only go grocery shopping when our cupboards are bare.

7. gifts don't need to be extravagant

i love giving gifts and because of that, i find myself spending way too much on loved ones. i'm sure they're not complaining, but over spending is over spending--even if it's on someone else, not on me.

so, from here on out...i'm going to come up with craftier ways to say, "happy birthday!" or "i love you!" that will come from the heart and probably mean more. i'm not eliminating gifts all together, but i'm going to spend time re-thinking ways to give gifts. i think this one is going to be fun.

8. when travel is necessary, travel cheap

i'm not going to nix road trips all together. the movie biz requires us to head out to weekend-long conventions and we have family we love to visit in indiana. but i think it's time to explore ways to cut back on our adventures, when possible.

9. i will update the blog regularly to keep myself accountable.


so those are the rules.

the trick to this whole ordeal is to save money...and to create habits that will stick around for good. so, at the end of this year-long project, we'll see how much i have saved. emphasis on SAVED...not "saved til the end of this year-long project and then used to buy some fancy new presents i've wanted for a few months."

i'm going to use this blog to explore ways i've found to cut back, discuss my struggles and failures, and brag about my successes.

stick around...this is going to be a good time.