i'm back!

2 years after i launched my first attempt at the spending fast--and i'm back for more. a lot has changed since then, but many things are just the same. if you remember, the first time around i was following these 9 rules in the hopes that they would eventually lead me to the "debt free life" so many of us dream about.

i was successful for a few months--paid off 2 credit cards and built up a small savings, but something (i dont remember what) changed and the spending floodgates opened wide. i would never say i failed--i made some progress and learned a bit about my wants and needs--but the spending fast ended and slowly but surely i fell back into my usual bad habits.

now i'm ready to try it again, using the original 9 rules as a jumping off point, but with some edits to better reflect my desired outcomes and current needs & wants . so, here they are--a mixture of new and old:

1. i will spend money on items i need:

rent
utilities
gas
groceries
credit card payments
student loan payments
and new to the list: car payment, auto & renters insurance

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

two years later and this is still as true as it every was.

in 2011 i actually went through and figured out how much i spent at target over a 12 month period of time. i'm not going that far this time--what's the point? i know i splurge there way too often. as i said the first time:

"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 alcoholic's 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."

and talking to other folks, i know i'm not the only one. time to give it up once again! i will slay you, target, you mighty beast.

3.  i will not buy shoes or clothes.
this is a big one, sticking around from the original list. but i still have plenty and still have no need for new items. this is going to be h.a.r.d.

4. i will pack lunches for work and will say "no" to eating out

i like food, and i like making my own food. but laziness overcomes me and makes it really easy to "forget" to pack my lunch or opt for a fast food dinner over home-made. i'm giving it up! i'm a good cook, and i have mastered the art of couponing (details to come) so unless someone else is treating, i'm not going to eat out.

5. 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. 

6. 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. 

7. i will "sleep on it" before making any spending decisions that feel potentially unnecessary

isn't there a saying about how "if it feels wrong, it probably is!" that's what i mean for this rule--i have a tendency to internalize everything, so it's really easy for me to rationalize purchases that probably aren't truly necessary. or, if they are, am i getting the best possible deal? picking the least expensive option? this is mostly about giving up on splurges and spontaneous purchases.

8. i will save a portion of every pay check

the inspiration for this project is anna from and then we saved. her tag line is "saving where we can to spend where we want." am i giving a lot up? yes. am i going to skip lollapalooza this summer, or completely give up on a summer vacation? no, and that's where the saved money comes in. my main focus is eliminating debt, but the goal is to get to a point where i am able to make smart choices about where i'm spending my money- the emphasis there being on the choice. right now, so much of my income goes toward bills, there isn't much choice left. i've put myself in that position, and i want to be done with it. so in addition to eliminating debt, i'm eager to get to a point where instead of pissing away my income on trips to target, i'm able to take trips or buy the necessities without sweating it.

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


so those are the rules, edited for 2013.

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.

i decided to keep my 2011 posts up, as i'm sort of into myself and like going back to re-read them. plus there are some great recipes that, if you're interested, i recommend highly! so feel free to read about my first attempt--and stick around for 2013!