Today ends Month #2 of my spending fast. Woohoo!!
Everyone has been so unbelievably supportive of my decision to do this, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I was really worried about how people would accept it, but it turns out I'm not the only one trying to pinch my pennies!
What's even more thrilling? As of today, only two months into my fast, I've payed down my debt by $2,229.40!! WHOA!! How awesome is THAT??
Since I'm being honest here, I'm going to tell you how much credit card debt I was in when I started this fast. For some of you, it might seem astronomically large. For others, you may look at it and say "hey, that's right around where I am too!". And for other-others, you may think this number is ridiculously small. No matter where you're coming from, I hope that sharing this will show you where I'm coming from, and maybe even motivate you to take the first step to becoming debt-free too.
Starting debt as of 1/1/2012: $13,168.04
Debt left as of 2/29/2012: $10,938.64
That is so ridiculously exciting to me. I still have a long way to go, but the number is shrinking. And that keeps me going.
As mentioned last month, I have been keeping a "spending tracker" to show where my money has NOT been going for the month of February. Here is how I did!
| FEB | |||
| Date | Not buying | Approx $ not spent | Total $ Saved |
| 2/1/12 | Derby Dues | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| 2/4/12 | Martini & Infused Vodka shot (friends bought for CW Tickets) | $20.00 | $70.00 |
| 2/4/12 | Target (I wanted to buy at least $10 worth of more stuff there) | $10.00 | $80.00 |
| 2/5/12 | Chinese Food (I really really wanted to order take-out!) | $28.00 | $108.00 |
| 2/12/12 | Pizza (I got it for FREE but chose pick-up over delivery, and didn't get extras) | $10.00 | $118.00 |
| 2/10/12 | Karaoke night (probably would've bought at least 1 drink) | $6.00 | $124.00 |
| 2/14/12 | Valentine's Day Gift (made John gifts instead) | $20.00 | $144.00 |
| 2/16/12 | John B-day Gift (made John's gift / used a gift card for a small gift) | $20.00 | $164.00 |
| 2/14/12 | Valentine's Day Dinner (John & I made dinner at home instead) | $25.00 | $189.00 |
| 2/18/12 | Beer & Appetizers (after snowboarding) - I wanted to buy stuff | $15.00 | $204.00 |
| 2/19/12 | Beer or a Bloody Mary after snowboarding (I REALLY wanted a Bloody!) | $8.00 | $212.00 |
| 2/19/12 | Qdoba (I usually would buy something from there on my way back from mtns) | $10.00 | $222.00 |
| 2/11/12 | Ross (I passed by on a lazy day & would have gone in and bought something!) | $25.00 | $247.00 |
| 2/22/12 | Baniff Mountain Fest (invite from Grimes) | $15.00 | $262.00 |
| 2/23/12 | Meredith's Improv Show (she got me a comp ticket since she's so sweet!) | $8.00 | $270.00 |
| 2/24/12 | Happy Hour Drinks | $10.00 | $280.00 |
| 2/25/12 | Post-Bout Drinks | $12.00 | $292.00 |
| 2/26/12 | Bottle of wine (I almost stopped & got one!) | $10.00 | $302.00 |
| 2/28/12 | Bottle of wine (would've gotten one for Kat's b-day, but made cupcakes instead) | $10.00 | $312.00 |
| 2/29/12 | Lunch with Cat (we brought our lunches instead of going out) | $10.00 | $322.00 |
I saved about $322 this month! WOWZA!! It really amazes me every time how those little things really add up.
A couple of things I DID spend money on this month that I probably shouldn't have... I got a $2 coffee from Starbucks when I was driving home from the mountains. I justified it a bit though because A) I didn't get a fancy coffee, and B) I was SO TIRED and pretty much nodding off at the wheel. I figured with a 1 1/2 hour drive ahead of me, a $2 coffee was the safest bet.
I spent $4 going halfsies on a bottle of wine with Megan. I just didn't want her buying the whole bottle when I knew we'd both be drinking it. Something tells me that buying wine is going to be the hardest thing to resist during this spending fast... even more than going out to eat & buying gifts! Haha!
THANK YOU AGAIN to all of my friends and family for all the support and love. I know I keep saying it, but I really can't say it enough. You guys are awesome. Thank you. :)
THANK YOU AGAIN to all of my friends and family for all the support and love. I know I keep saying it, but I really can't say it enough. You guys are awesome. Thank you. :)
You goof. You should have just let me buy the wine. Next time I'm not letting you argue.
ReplyDeleteHey, remember what I told you! Wine is cheaper than therapy! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love your updates Beth! I get excited about paying down my mortgage every month and reading other people's stories keeps me motivated. :-D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrea!! I'm so glad that it's keeping you motivated. It's such a hard task not spending money in a very spendy world! Thanks for the support! :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are officially on board! We are going to sit down later tonight and make the terms, look ahead to what's coming up. Thanks for doing this.
ReplyDeleteGREAT JOB on you fasting accomplishments. It really is an amazing feat your are tackling! :)
That is SO WONDERFUL!! I wish you both the best of luck with it! Definitely check out "And Then She Saved" for tips & encouragement too - she really knows what she's talking about. It really has helped me along! I can't wait to read your posts about your progress too. It's so exciting!
ReplyDelete