Days 3 & 4 (of nothing)

I am just a wee bit into my challenge, but I'm already aware of how many opportunities I have every day (every hour, truth be told) to buy something. While playing fetch with Buddy I noticed a garage sale across the street (I hate passing up a bargain). Searching Google news I see an ad for ebay and wonder if any Patagonia fleeces have surfaced (a favorite quest of mine). On television I watch a commercial for mascara and feel tempted to try it--and I hardly ever wear make up. Each and every moment I'm assaulted with the "chance" to spend money. I don't think you become aware of how often until you make a choice not to buy anything. What other culture lives like this?

I haven't told the kids what I'm trying. Why make them suffer? It's my challenge, not theirs. I plan to casually divert their attention should the need arise. Like this morning. Carver asked if we could go roller skating tomorrow. My response was "Ye.... er... no. Let's play outside instead." He shrugged his shoulders, but I have the feeling I may not get off so easily next time.

My next dilemma is dinner tonight. We rarely eat out, but every Friday night is pizza night. We buy a fresh-made one and bake it at home. We do it every week. Where does this fall in my challenge? I could go to the grocery store this afternoon and buy the ingredients to make a pizza at home, but I can't help but wonder if after the olives, pepperoni, sauce, cheese, and artichoke hearts I wouldn't spend more. Does a pizza count, since it's not out of the norm of what we usually do? I didn't consider this before.

One of many challenges I'm sure to face in the days to come.

Our Thankful Tree
During the month of November we try to remember what we're thankful for. In the past I've made a tree by finding small branches out in the yard and letting the kids glue paper leaves to them. This year I drew a tree on our chalk wall. Each night, after dinner, I ask the kids to think of something they're thankful for and then they get to "hang" their leaf on the tree.


This is what Zinabu has added so far... Having a family and having a great life.

What a love. And to think--he's the one who has blessed us, not the other way around.

Day 2 (of not buying anything)

Today was a fairly easy day, as I had no errands to run and therefore no stores to encounter. I spent a lot of time at the kids' school. However, I did have to cancel a haircut appointment that was scheduled for this afternoon. That's not a big deal today, but now that my hair is short it needs to be cut more frequently--so by the end of November I will be feeling pretty shaggy. Not sure how I'll feel about that.

Last night it occurred to me that Target is now having their 75% off sale on Halloween items. I ALWAYS hit this sale the week after Halloween, because my kids love to dress up so much. I love to find the odd wig, crown, sword, or cape. We have a huge bin filled with dress-up costumes, and my kids can still spend full afternoons in imaginary play. I also adore Halloween decorations--the pumpkins, the orange lights, the cute placemats. This is when I stock up for next year. So I'm trying not to think about that sale. I'm hoping that by not being in Target this week I won't see what I'm missing, and therefore won't know what great deals I'm foregoing.

(sigh)

Day 1

I wake up today to my first challenge: a hole in my favorite socks. My wool socks that I wear religiously because I am notoriously cold. David thinks there is something amiss with my circulatory system, but the socks do the trick. There's the hole--staring me in the face. I look back at it and want to throw the socks away, but I can't. These socks need to warm my feet through the rest of the month, so I double up my sock layers and get breakfast going for the kids.

Halfway through the day I have to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription (there's no getting around this and you can't honestly include this in the challenge). I head straight to the back to get my medicine, and am suddenly aware of Children's Tylenol on sale. And hand sanitizer. Both of which we have plenty of at home, but given the H1N1 march across America I feel like you can't turn down a good sale. I pay for just my prescription and leave otherwise empty handed.

Then the kicker. U2 tickets went on sale today for their show that's coming to Denver in June.
Whoops. Didn't plan for that. Maybe we can get nose bleed seats and buy tickets in December.

Tonight would have been the perfect night to grab dinner on the run. David has to go back to school for a PTA meeting, and I lead a Bible study at our church. My mom isn't in town, so we have to bring the kids with us to our respective duties. But instead of ordering sandwiches at Subway, I made dinner and we are eating at 4:45 before we all head back out again.

That's a chunk of change I saved today.

30 Days of Nothing

Ever heard of this? I've been tossing this idea around in my head for the last two weeks and I'm going to do it. 30 Days of Nothing is a personal challenge that means exactly what it implies: a whole month of not buying anything that is not absolutely necessary. Other bloggers I know have tried (and successfully completed) this challenge, and it was fascinating for me to read their thoughts.

A little history on our family. When we first moved to Colorado, Carver was 2 and a half and Lily was two months old. David took an enormous pay cut and I was working (sporadically) as a freelance editor. We were incredibly blessed, but money was tight. We had one car (David walked to work). It was the kind of budget that if you ran out of light bulbs but there were still 2 weeks until pay day, you went without light bulbs. When David became an Assistant Principal, I remember the joy of going to Target and buying light bulbs whenever I wanted. We are still careful with our finances and very grateful for all we've been blessed with, but I want to make sure I'm really aware of where every penny is going. Also, with Thanksgiving around the corner, the timing is right.

For the month of November I am going to do my darnedest to not... buy... a... single... thing. Disclaimer: Obviously, we need to eat. Groceries do not count in this challenge. But let it be said that this won't be the month to try new Ina Garten recipes that call for saffron threads or other such nonsense that would defeat the purpose of trying to cut back. I'll try to keep things simple. Also, I am not about to go into emergency mode and put scraps of recycled newspaper in the bathrooms should we run out of toilet paper. If we run out, I WILL BUY MORE. Lastly, if one of the cars breaks down, we'll fix it.

I'll also come clean and tell you that I spent money today. I had long-standing plans to meet a good friend for coffee this morning. It was her birthday so I treated her to a latte. And in anticipation for a birthday party Carver is invited to in 10 days, I bought a gift card at Target. But that's it. It's the evening of November 2, and the challenge begins NOW!

Before

Darth, Sylvester, and Green Power Ranger (Z chose to be the same thing he was last year! It was fantastic.)

After

Checking out the booty. We had a great night. It was the first time I got to go trick-or-treating with the kids. I'm usually stuck at home handing out candy. The weather was fabulous--considering we had a blizzard 3 days ago--warm with lots of leaves to crunch through. My brother met up with us and joined the festivities, and Buddy experienced the joy of barking at kids wearing weird costumes.

Now I'll let you in on a dark family secret: we buy our kids' candy off of them. I think I've explained this before, but I get tired of those piles of candy lingering on into December. When we get back from trick-or-treating, we have our kids paw sort through the sugar bounty and keep whatever they want. Really, we don't force them to give anything up. But the lure of 10 cents per item is fairly strong, and without fail the kids wind up keeping a handful of candy and "selling" the rest to us. I like teaching them that a little candy is OK, and there's value in making healthy choices. Stupid? Maybe. But in one week we'll be done with our Halloween candy and that is music to my ears.

Recently Overheard

Zinabu, Mr. Popular, has had 3 birthday parties to attend in one week. I'm considering hiring him a personal assistant to keep up with all his comings and goings, not to mention making sure he doesn't wear the same thing twice to all these gatherings (sarcasm, people). I was driving to the store--again--to buy a birthday present--again--and I said offhand, "I'm glad you're not invited to 10 parties.
He piped up, "Why?"
"Well," I responded, "that would be a lot of presents to buy and that's a lot of money."
"Then get to work and make some money, Mom!" (insert sound of whip cracking)

This kid can be so sensitive at times, and so very annoying at others.