Ok last night Kiah comes in our room at 4 30 announcing she has to go to the bathroom. I couldn't fall back asleep and just kept thinking of all the STUFF I have in my house. We just got back from Topeka and I made a Target and Aldi stop that where "so desperatly needed" only to come home and try to lodge items into any open crevice in the pantry. Yeah it's full to overflowing. I bought four packages of diapers and came home to 3 other packs there, I bought some laundry stuff only to see probably close to a years supply of things. Why do I do this, you may ask? I thought Kjell and Laressa never spent money she is secretly hoarding stuff and pretending they don't have money???? No we don't have money, and we don't spend a lot on many things, my pit fall..... good grocery deals. Who can turn down the frozen bag of corn that with the sale and the coupon I can get for 20 cents? Or the laundry detergent I paid less than a dollar for.... It's HARD to save money. lol when there are so many things I can get so cheaply.
But this holiday I say this as holiday not Christmas because it started before Thanksgiving in case anyone thought I was trying to be politicaly correct I'm not. I was trying to figure out gifts for people for Christmas. Two years ago I made everyone those fleece cut blankets everyone it was like 30 blankets. Everyone loved them I still get raves so trying to find something that tops that and completly failing has made me thing why do we get people this "stuff" that many of them probably throw away. Take Kjell's uncles for instance. They always give us a fairly expensive gift. They are wealthy an attorney and a pysch. ? not sure which one so I'll leave it at that. So when my budget is under ten for a grown single man....... let's just say I'm sure their gifts get thrown away pretty quickly. Last year I did get them like a little old spice like five thingy kit.. but I can't use toiletries as a copout every year. So I was frustrated. Ask yourself what did you recieve for Christmas last year and you probably don't remember much. So what is the point? How can I make my gifts have a point? I just got an idea I may just get these bacholor's some of my homemade cookies.... yup but then I've covered the baked goods for next year what do I do then?? I did manage to find some people what I concider a gift that keeps on giving, magazine subscriptions. I got about six people those, for five bucks a piece and they will get it all year! Not shabby. Ok back to my point. I have too much junk/stuff in my house.
I came upon a magazine article a couple weeks ago that just about made me livid. It was a couple women talking about this "new idea" of not spending more money then they make... REALLY wow what a concept! But one family decided to take this further they decided to try not to buy anything (I'm not sure of all the rules) for a whole year. Now this is a wealthy family not trying to make it on a teacher's salary they used their "savings" on like a month long cruise when they were done. So they odviously have money. So here goes, here is what I am doing. I am no longer going to buy anything after the turn of the year. Yes I will pay my bills but I have at least enough food to make it three months. (I'm not joking) Now you are probably wondering what about milk, fruits, veggies? Well let me put your mind at ease. We ARE POOR we get help from the state well the kids do they qualify for WIC so we get about 6 gallons of milk a month and 12 dollars in fruits and veggies. Plus I have about 20 bags of frozen veggies in the freezer and 20 cans of fruit in the pantry. Now I have one caviot, I am supposed to be doing a "once a month cooking" thing with two other ladies, we are supposed to be doing it Dec 12th but I'm trying to change it to after Christmas but I will be able to buy food for that. Other than that I'm going to see what happens. We will see how long the TP and stuff like that lasts but as far as buying it before I really have to.... see though there's the problem if I only buy things when I really need it I never get it on sale so we will see maybe when we are down to two rolls I start shopping the sales!.
I have so much shampoo/condition packs from free samples I could for sure make it a year. and the everyone else in the family has a bunch too. Lotion? I could start a store with all I have, so I think we will be ok. I'm pretty excited about this. How much money do I think I will save? 50 bucks a month... you must be thinking but Laressa that's hardly anything . Well duh I told you Kjell and I are very good at not spending EVER beyond our means. I just think we need to do it for reasons other than saving money, just to realize we don't have to have so much STUFF we are a nation build on "in STUFF we trust" I know that Kjell and I will miss our fast food spluges. I guess I'll now know what to ask people for when they say what do you want for Christmas/birthday. Gift cards. some people think so unpersonal but for me not wanting to spend money, that will be the only way to do anything "fun" money wise. No I don't think I'm going to sit at home and cry about what I don't have it's not like I'm getting rid of electricity, water, sat, phone, cell, or internet. I mean these are life's neccesities, (there is irony in my voice but we are moving in baby steps) I just want to be able to have more and live with less. I went through the kids' toys about a month ago they were always all over the house so I finally just put half of them in a box downstairs to rotate them out.. I'm thinking why do we even need that box? Who have I become am I truly unamerican now. Oh well we will see how this goes. I will be truthful as to what Kjell and I spend (oh yeah and i haven't ran this little idea past Kjell yet :) so we will see how that goes. We each get 25 dollars a month for spending money so if he wants to spend it he can. I know there will be times we have to spend money I see two trips to colorado in our next year at least and there will be other trips but I'm just going to be more conscience about what I spend and hold myself accountable for all purchases.
Oh yeah and remember when I started P90X and I said I'd love to be as spiritually fit as I was getting with that in 90 days my sis in law and brother are starting to read through the Bible in 90 days starting tomorrow I'm doing it with them I am so super excited, we may live four hours from them but they will be able to hold me accountable too.
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