Confessions of a Reformed Shopaholic

Yep, you read correctly!

Here's what led to my epiphany:

I gave up shopping for Lent, and I'm proud to say that except for a necklace -which I gave myself permission to buy to accessorize a dress I was wearing to a wedding (which ironically enough I did not even wear), I did not buy myself any shoes, clothes or accessories.

It was definitely a difficult challenge, especially during the last two weeks when I was just all cracked out salivating to buy something. And I swear that if it wasn't because I promised God, I would've totally fallen off the wagon. But I really learned a lot about myself and why I shop.

Um, I don't really need a reason to shop, but being stressed (even if it's stress caused by our finances) is the largest catalyst for shopping.

I like stuff. I like looking cute. And I can justify my spending because I am not spending large amounts. Why shouldn't I buy a cute dress? It's only $20! Why shouldn't I buy these shoes? They're on sale! They make my calves look awesome! I'll find something to wear them with! Why shouldn't I buy this top? I can wear it everywhere!

But these justifications are exactly why I have no money. I mean granted, our financial picture is more complicated than this, but if I analyze my shopping, I can freely admit that I could be saving $75 - $100/month. And while that's a small amount, that small amount x 12 is a nice bit of change. Because it's more than zero.

And anything more than zero is a good thing, right?

Anyhoodle, back to this Lent business. I'm not going to lie. I bought a bunch of books, a shitload of candles (my house smells delicious, cookies -DE-LI-CIOUS), and a bunch of home accessories. However, this was not against the law.

Here's what I'm doing:

I buy myself a lot of stuff for the life I wish I had. But really? I don't need any more heels. I don't need any more sassy little dresses. Whenever I don't buy something, for whatever reason, I'm going to transfer that bit to savings. I'll keep a monthly log, and I'll post the total at the end of the month.

I get a gazillion catalogs in the mail. Constantly going through catalogs is a recipe for disaster because if I like something, I can look at it over and over again, and I can somehow convince myself that I need it. So. I'm still going to look at the catalogs, just for fun. But once I'm done, they go in the trash.

I subscribe to a bunch of magazines, but I've let some of my subscriptions lapse. For example, I love Lucky, but really? This cookie can't afford those clothes. I can't even afford the clothes in the budget issue. So no more. Especially no more gossip magazines. I can read them while I stand in line at the grocery store or when I go to the bookstore, which I totally plan on doing more often because....

I'm not going to be buying any more books. I'm going to beg my friends for books, borrow books from the library, or steal books from the bookstore. Well, not really steal per se. I'm just going to read books at the bookstore.

I'm going to read everything I can about personal finance. Right now I'm reading Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover. At the bookstore, of course.

I'm trying to sell crap on ebay (nobody has bid on this crap, but I have one watcher and hopefully it'll sell) and craigslist.org. I'm going to list something new every seven days, and any money I make will go straight into savings until I get a teeny cushion.

I'm looking for a part-time job. I'll keep you posted on this. I'd love to work 10-15 hours/week at $10 (minimum)/hour. I'm applying to anything and everything, so we'll see.

I'm looking for new car and home0wner's insurance. I'm going to get the lowest, bestest price. And I'm going to do my research because I want my money to work for me.

Now. This doesn't mean that I'm never going to buy myself anything. I love pretty things and I've bought myself some stuff since the end of Lent. I'm just saying that I'm much more aware of what I'm buying, and I'm much more honest about my motivation for buying an item. Not shopping for 40 days has really changed my internal dialogue.

So that's that. I'm excited. Let's get this bitch started!