Spending Fast - FINAL MONTH (1-year total)

Welp, the 1-year Spending Fast is coming to a close!
Although my debt is definitely not gone, it has reduced significantly since the beginning of 2012.

$13,168.04 - Starting Debt at Jan 1, 2012
$7,169.78 - Current Debt at Dec 17, 2012

That means I've paid off nearly $6k in debt this year - $5,998.26 to be exact!  I still have a ways to go, but if I keep the same determination going this year I believe that by 2014 I can be 100% debt-free.  And oh what a wonderful feeling it will be!

Image via Pinterest

Although I'm dissapointed that my debt isn't fully paid off by now, I understand that certain aspects of my life (and certain choices), caused it to be that way.  I took a lower paying job, I know that I spent money at times when I probably shouldn't have (but man, it was still worth it - and I'm definitely not perfect), etc.  But I've learned so much this year, and I'm ready to take that to 2013 with me.

I already know I'm going to take some kind of vacation next year, so that will definitely dip into what will go towards my debt - but life is short, and I'm tired of putting vacations on hold!  And I'm OK with that - I've accepted it.  If that means taking a little more time to get completely debt free, then I'll take it.  I still gotta live my life!

I know that it's a constant struggle, but I'm going to stick with it.  How wonderful when I can actually put money towards my savings every month instead of credit cards & interest.  How wonderful that my money won't be completely GONE the day after I receive every paycheck!  Oh man, I can't wait.

And that's what keeps me going.
Well, that and all the love & support from my family & friends of course. :)
Love you guys!  And here's to being debt-free by 2014!

Spending Fast - 10 Months Down!

Holy crap!  I can't believe it's been almost an entire year since I began my spending fast!  Only 2 months left of 2012 - how nuts is that?  I have a feeling they're just going to FLY by too.  

This month it was a little easier to not spend money due to the fact that I literally could not spend anything (because I didn't have anything left over after my bills were paid).  In fact, I was a little bit under which makes me terribly nervous. 

The new job change was definitely worth it, but I knew I'd be a bit tight over the next few months before I was making enough money to keep putting stuff towards my debt while still being able to live my life.  I'm hoping it will get easier but it has been a struggle, and with the holidays coming up I'm sure there will be more struggles to come. 

But hopefully I will be debt-free in the near future (hopefully, hopefully), and be able to live on my smaller income in happiness while still setting aside money in my savings.  I hope that's not just a pipe dream, and I'm praying that the day will come in the next year or so.  I already feel so blessed to have come as far as I have on this journey, and I've learned so much about myself.  I just need to keep plugging away and just get there! 

Here are some ways I'm planning to survive the holiday season (without going broke): 

- My family & I decided to draw names for gifts this year.  We drew names from a hat, and we'll only get a gift for one person (instead of all 5), then do stockings for each person.  Gifts are not what Christmas is about anyway, and this will help us keep the spirit of gift giving alive, while enjoying the true joys of the season.

- Handmade / re-purposed gifts for all!  I'm sure that I have many things already that could be spruced up / re-painted / made personal so that I could give them to friends as gifts - I just need to get creative about it.  

- Food not Booze.  If someone has us over for a get-together or birthday gathering, I'll plan to bring a food item (like a homemade pie) instead of a bottle of wine.  The ingredients that go into a pie are much less expensive than getting a $10 bottle o' booze.  Especially if buying in season!

- Handmade cards!  I have a huge stack of blank cards that I bought a very long time ago and never used.  So instead of purchasing Christmas cards, I'm going to make my own!  They'll be much more personal, and really, much more fun.

Those are my plans so far, and I need to figure out how to make the time to get everything done!  The last month has been a complete whirlwind (I can't believe it's almost November!!), and I'm sure the next will be the same.  "Pie Season" is the busiest time of year at the bakery, so wish me luck!  

Happy Saving! :) 

Spending Fast - 9 months down!

Well this month has been full of changes, but my Spending Fast is still going well!  

My debt has been going down a little more (slowly but surely), but I did realize an area that I've been slacking on - and that's the booze. 

Not that I'm a big boozer or anything, but a bottle of wine here, a pint of beer there - it really adds up!  I've been allowing myself the occasional treat, but it seems that "occasional" has begun to mean "whenever I want it".  Yikes. 

So that's something I need to work on.  Especially with a much smaller paycheck coming in, I will need to be very careful so that I can still get my debt down!  

I don't have a "money not spent" sheet to show you today (I haven't been using it lately since I haven't been on my computer as much lately), but I do have an update on my amounts! :) 

I started out with $13,168.04 of debt at the beginning of this year. 
I'm now left with $7,256.38 as of the end of this month. 

So it's not a huge jump from last month, but it's still dropped!  That's great!  
Therefore, I've paid off $5,911.56 of my debt in the past 9 months.  

The best part is I'm in the $500 range for paying off my largest / highest interest bill - the one that was over $4k when I started this whole thing!  I feel pretty darn happy about that. 

I'll keep plugging away!  I'm glad that when tax season comes I should have a decent amount coming back to me that I can put towards it as well.  Hopefully by the end of next year I'll be 100% debt free - with money in savings too!!  YEAH!  

Spending Fast Update - 5 months down, 7 to go!

Well, I just got back from my trip to Pennsylvania, and I have many many photos to share with you all!  

Not yet though, that will take a little bit o' time to sort through. ;) 

But here's my recap for the month of May for my Spending Fast!!

MAY
Date	Not buying	Approx $ not spent	Total $ Saved
5/1/12	Derby Dues	$50.00	$50.00
5/1/12	Lunch w/ Katy & Kat in the park (instead of going to a restaurant)	$8.00	$58.00
5/2/12	Was running late today - almost decided to buy lunch instead of bring it!	$8.00	$66.00
5/4/12	Dinner at the Garvey's (instead of going out to dinner)	$25.00	$91.00
5/6/12	Cayden - 2nd b-day gift (gave him a b-day balloon instead!)	$10.00	$101.00
5/13/12	Taryn's Graduation - couldn't get a gift, so threw her a party instead	$25.00	$126.00
5/19/12	Outlaws Game (Ryan gave us free tickets!)	$32.00	$158.00
5/19/12	Money NOT spent on booze at the Outlaws game	$15.00	$173.00
5/14/12	ALMOST bought fake eyelashes at Sally's (but didn't) - that was hard!	$12.00	$185.00
5/24-28/12	Many lunches / Dinners in Pennsylvania (thanks mom & dad!!)	$100.00	$285.00
5/28/12	Shoes (that I resisted buying, amazingly)	$30.00	$315.00

I did have quite a few moments this month where I spent when I didn't need to spend.  That was frustrating, and I felt guilty afterward - but I enjoyed it at the time!  After doing some quick calculations I realized that I'd spent about $100 this month on non-need stuff!!  ARGH!!!  I SO could have put that towards my debt.  And what kills me is that it was for a coffee here.  A drink there.  A $10 dress.  Little things that I could have resisted with a little will power to get me closer to debt-freedom.

Sigh.  Baby steps.  

At least I'm more aware of it now!  I had my fun, and I'm going to correct it.   


The GOOD news though, is.... I'M UNDER THE $10K MARK!  WOOT!!!


That means I've paid off just under $3,500 worth of debt in the past 5 months. 

I was hoping to be a bit further along by now, but I’m still pretty thrilled by that number. Sometimes shit happens though, and my money needs to go to car / bike / scooter repairs, health needs, un-forseen events, etc.  Also having more income would be a HUGE help because I could put more money towards everything each month without screwing myself – but that ain’t happening just yet.  Workin' on it. 

I just need to keep plugging away, as I always do! 

Yeah! 

As always, thanks for your love, encouragement, and support. :)  

Backyard Decorating - short-term results!

Remember how I was looking for outside decorating ideas in this post for my sister's graduation?  Well apparently a LOT of other people have been looking for some inspiration, 'cause that post has gotten a lot of hits!  Fun! 

Glad I'm not the only one needing help in that area... 

But I did get my backyard decorating done (on a very tight / nonexistent budget, of course), and here are the results! 

BEFORE... 

...AFTER!

Now, I know it's not a HUGE difference or anything, but I was happy with what I could do for my sister's party!  The picnic table has been wonderful - although I still need to paint it, it was a great find (Craigslist, $40)!  


The cloth banner is all thanks to Kendra - she used it at her wedding, and lent it to me for the party.  It really helped tie everything together, and I think it looked super cute!  


I would love to get some more permanent-ish furniture out there (as opposed to camping chairs), but these did for now (donated by my lovely parents).  

My dad even gave us some rad little Chinese lanterns on a string to hang alongside the house - they really looked wonderful, and the glow was warm and lovely at night.  


And of course, the fire pit helped with that too once the party started dwindling down to the last party-goers...

I know everyone looks bored here, but this is actually "relaxed".  Or "drunk" - one of the two.  Haha! 

Spending Fast Update: 3 months down, 9 to go!

This month was not as successful as the other two unfortunately, but I still think I did pretty well!  I had a couple of moments of weakness (I did purchase 2 meals at restaurants - about $20 a piece total).  I'm frustrated about that, but I'm not perfect and I'm not going to beat myself up over it.  I think I could've done better, but I still did well, and I did pay down my debt some more, so that's great! 

Here is how I did for the month of March with NOT spending:

Date	Not buying	Approx $ not spent	Total $ Saved
3/1/12	Derby Dues	$50.00	$50.00
3/2/12	Dinner at Steubens (Brian's B-day)	$15.00	$65.00
3/4/12	Going out to brunch for my b-day (had people over instead)	$25.00	$90.00
3/3/12	Out for drinks for my b-day	$30.00	$120.00
3/1/12	Google Offer ($10 for $20 at City-O-City) - ugh… really wanted that!	$10.00	$130.00
3/3/12	Drinks at the bout	$18.00	$148.00
3/3/12	Taco Bell (thank GOODNESS John didn't let me do this!)	$10.00	$158.00
3/7/12	Gift basket donation (donated handmade items instead)	$10.00	$168.00
3/7/12	Bowling (friends had a free coupon!)	$15.00	$183.00
3/10/12	Additional Drink at Clothing Swap w/ Katy (had 1 free drink, wanted another!)	$8.00	$191.00
3/15/12	Lunch (the one I brought wasn't very yummy again)	$8.00	$199.00
3/17/12	Large Green Beer (while at Breckenridge)	$6.00	$205.00
3/23/12	Lunch (I REALLY wanted to go & get an Arepas today!)	$6.00	$211.00
3/21/12	2 bottles of wine (I used gift card money!  WOOT!)	$20.00	$231.00
3/27/12	Glass of wine or beer / Queso & chips (I REALLY needed this today…)	$10.00	$241.00
3/28/12	Hunger Games movie ticket (my mom treated me!)	$12.00	$253.00
3/29/12	TJ Maxx (I had $3 left on a gift card, but wanted much more than that)	$20.00	$273.00
3/29/12	Bottle of wine (John got it)	$11.00	$284.00

So I did not spend $284.00 this month!  Not too bad if I say so myself.
It also means that since the end of February (to the end of March), I've paid off $1,285.29!! 

Woooooohooooooo!!!  That's great news.  In total since I started the spending fast 3 months ago in January, I have paid off a whopping $2,664.69 off my debt. 

I'm almost to the $3k mark!!  It's so close I can taste it!!  And it's also amazing how much money you can save up when you really put your mind to it, huh? :) 

For more information about the Spending Fast and inspiration - visit And Then She Saved!

Spending Fast Update - 2 months down, 10 to go!

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. :) 

Spending Fast Struggles...

February is going great so far with my Spending Fast!  I did realize where I have some weaknesses though, and I'm not terribly surprised where I'm finding them... 

1.) Eating Out / Drinking Out 

During the week I have no problem eating at home.  But on the weekends when everyone is out for a good time... ugh.  I wanna join in on the fun.  This past weekend it was even harder because we were in the mountains.  It was John's birthday and we all went out to dinner to celebrate.  Luckily John was nice enough to let me have his "free" appetizer (they were doing 2 for 1 appetizers for happy hour at the bar), so I didn't technically have to pay, and I could still join in.  But no drinks for me!  

It's not that I HAVE to have a drink, it's that I LIKE to join in on the drink-fun with my friends when we're out.  I think it was even harder the next day when we were at A-Basin, and everyone stopped around 1pm for Bloody Mary's.  I SO WANTED A BLOODY MARY!  I could've even gotten it without the vodka and been happy, but that still would've been breaking my spending fast.  Sigh - that was definitely the hardest part of the weekend.  

I guess it's kind of a bonus though - not only am I not spending as much money, but I'm probably drinking less too! 

2.) Gifts
Ughhhhh - gifts!  I can't stand not buying them!!  I know it is probably a silly thing for me to not be able to resist, but I am a gift-giver.  I have been finding creative ways to be gifty (hosting a dinner at my house, making jam / handmade gifts, etc), but sometimes it just doesn't seem like enough.  It shouldn't take money to show someone that you care about them, but sometimes it seems like that's the only thing that will do it.  Does that make any sense at all?  I think that's capitalism that's been burned into my brain since birth - because I really don't think it should be that way. 

Those are my two biggies right now.  I'm fine with not shopping (I resisted going into Ross two weekends ago - AMAZING!!), that hasn't bothered me much so far - and coffee stops have been pretty easy to resist ever since I brought my french press into work!  It's the going out / giving gifts that have been the most difficult.  

What are your biggest spending weaknesses?  Where do you have the most trouble? 

I DO HAVE A SPENDING FAST UPDATE........

After checking up on my tracking sheet and doing a lil' bit of math, I just found out that I've paid down my debt by $1,379.40 since the beginning of 2012!!  THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!  I've been putting all of my un-spent money towards my debt, I had some extra income from being a study subject this month for a local university, I put my Xmas bonus towards it, my tax refund money, etc - and what a huge dent all of that made! 

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see that number.  It makes me proud, and confident to keep moving forward.  It's just getting me one step closer to freedom!! :)  YAY!! 


Please visit And Then She Saved to see where I got the inspiration to start a Spending Fast. 

Images found via Google Image search.

And then she SAVED!

My friend Geneva just sent me a link to this blog, and I'm totally and utterly inspired.

Read about her year-long Spending Fast here!  She paid off ALL of her debt just by being frugal, and only spending on exactly what she needed.  I'm crazy about this idea.

It's so strange that I've never thought of this myself.  When I first opened a checking account when I was younger, I was diligent about tracking every cost.  I wrote down everything in my checkbook, and balanced it with every statement.  I was a good banker.

Then I got a credit card, and my balancing went out the window.  Why track?  You can just pay it back later!  Then I got into trouble... quite a few times.

When I finally dug myself out of my hole, I moved out of my parents house (again), and started over... And got myself right back into debt again!

It has been a vicious cycle.

I know that the only way for me to get back on my feet again (without having to move back into my parents house) is to do something drastic.  I know that I could probably work to find a new job where I make more money, but if I don't change my habits now, the same thing will keep happening.  Sure, I'll be making more money, but that also means I'll be spending more!  Smart people have proven this in studies.  I promise.

It's not just about getting out of debt though.  It's about being a consumer.  Why do we feel the need to buy, buy, buy, ALL the time?  Because that's what our society teaches us.  Buy the newest thing!  The latest style!  Ignore everything that you have that's perfectly good, or just in need of repair!  Throw it away and BUY BUY BUY!  I don't like being that person, and I don't want to be in debt anymore because of it!

Here's a link to her Spending Diet too - for more tips & such.  This whole thing is a great resource, and I love her perspective on it.  I've never been good with budgeting.  Nor have I been good with dieting.  I feel the same way about budgeting as I do about counting calories.  It's tedious, with a very slow payoff.  However, if I know what I should be eating and what I should be avoiding, it makes the process a lot easier.  You say "no" to these foods, and "yes" to these foods, and just don't think about it.  All of a sudden you're 10 pounds lighter without even blinking.  Wha?  YES!  I feel like this plan is kind of the same way.

I've compiled a list of NEEDS & WANTS - using her list as a basis.  Some things are similar, but I've just catered them to me. 

WHAT I HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON:

RENT

UTILITIES – keep lights and water off as much as possible; keeping the thermostat at 68 and wearing a hat and long johns inside, if needed.

CELL PHONE

FOOD - store bought, in-season fruits and veggies and only when I run out of stuff in cupboards.  It's very important to me to still stay healthy though, so if I need to buy less to get better quality (ie - organic), then I will do so.

DERBY DUES ($40) or gym membership

HEALTH INSURANCE / doctor co-pays / medicine (when needed)

CAR PAYMENT

GAS (as little as possible – bike / scoot / walk / carpool whenever you can)

TOILETRIES (minimal) – toilet paper, paper towels, boxed hair dye, cotton balls, q-tips, razors, body lotion.  Only the bare minimum, generic brands, and what I absolutely need.

WHAT I WILL NOT SPEND MONEY ON:

Gifts (sorry friends and family... homemade crafts or re-gifting will be happening)

Coffee at coffee shops (sad face)

Clothes (remember: "Make Do & Mend!") and Shoes

Trinkets / Jewlery

New make-up

Eating out (this is a big one!)

Movies

Furniture (NO Ikea!  I DON’T NEED YOU!)

Decorative house stuff

Haircuts (I can probably keep up on these myself with trims)

Books

Alcohol (this is a luxury, not a necessity)

I am going to start tracking spending on my debit card in my checkbook again (I actually put my card in my check register - what a concept), so that I can be good about that.  I am also going to allow myself $80 / month to use however I want, but when it's gone it's gone.  If I want to go to a concert, have a drink at happy hour, go out to dinner or breakfast, etc - I'll have to dip into this amount.

Holy crap, this is going to be hard!  Wow.  I'm usually pretty creative when it comes to ways of spending time with people without spending money, but I know that there will be some things I'll have to turn down in order to stick to the plan.  I'm going to try and blog along the way too (maybe I'll create a separate one), and I'll most likely just start here.  Tracking everything has really helped me with my eating right / working out with the TBT, so hopefully this will keep me on track too!

Any thoughts / suggestions?  What are the ways you're making extra money this summer?