Spending Fast Recap

So, last year, my friend Cami, did a spending fast for one month and I decided to do it with her. I know this sounds dramatic, but honestly, it was life changing for me. I’m a spender. Not the way a lot of people think of “spending” where I buy expensive things. Not at all, in fact. I don’t remember the last time I bought something for myself that wasn’t from Target. But I’m a spender in the pick-up-random-things-at-Target and buy-something-online-cause-it’s-on-sale kind of way. That kind of stuff adds up. I also like to grab lunch when I’m busy and don’t want a PB&J. And dinner out of a bag sometimes sounds SO MUCH better than anything where I have to stand in the kitchen for an hour to make and then another hour afterwards to clean up. AND, I love eating out. Like in a restaurant where someone asks ME if I’d like a refill or more dressing. Anyway, the rules are this: no buying ANYTHING except groceries and gas (and bills, obviously), with a $50/week grocery limit. That’s it. And last year, I stuck to it. It changed a LOT of habits of mine. I still only go to the grocery store once a week. If I’m out of something, I go without till the next week. To be honest, I think it’s made me a better cook. I’ve gotten creative a few times, to say the least. I really learned what I can absolutely live without. And every once in awhile, I’ll go on a spending fast week, just to rejuvenate those frugal spirits in me. I didn’t tell Greg about it. Two reasons, mostly. One, I wanted to do it for myself and two, I wanted it to be a surprise. Greg’s a really frugal guy and although he rarely, if ever, gets on my case about my spending, I knew it would be a welcome surprise for him. Well, as any bad habit goes, I got a little rusty, so when Cami asked if I wanted to do it again this year, for the month of February, I jumped on it. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Greg was gone (not physically, but mentally... and also physically) studying for and taking the bar. The twins are older and just need a lot more, food- and entertainment-wise. I’m pregnant. Getting fatter and lazier by the second. And, wanting to buy things for the baby. Then, the doctor put me on “limited physical activity” bed rest. But I persisted. I should mention that I wasn’t as hard core this year and didn’t give myself a grocery budget. Other than that, I made it till February 26th, when 1. Greg finished the bar and had initially announced that we’d go out and party like rockstars so I didn’t plan dinner, and then we ended up ordering pizza. 2. I started freaking out that the baby will be here in less than 3 weeks and I have not done one thing to get the twins’ room ready to give up their cribs to the baby and went to Hobby Lobby. So I guess I went on a 25 day spending fast. But it was wonderful. It really is crazy how much little-bit-here-little-bit-there spending we can go without in this household. And it was a good time to do it, right before the baby gets here. I kept it a secret from Greg again this year, only because he was studying for the bar and if I told him he couldn’t go out for lunch, he would have just starved himself. There you have it. I’m amazing. A true inspiration, really. And next year, I’m going to post it on my blog before I do it, and you’re all going to join in tell your friends how amazing you are. And then we’re just going to spread amazingness throughout the world and it will all be because of Cami. (Seriously, check out her blog. She’s going the whole year of 2011 without buying anything new (besides groceries and stuff). No, she’s not crazy, she just really IS that amazing!)