Spring Splurge

I splurged. Yeah, I know it, and I feel bad about it. Okay, not bad enough to take back the things I bought, but bad nonetheless. I had purchased a cute vintage purse for 25 cents at our local thrift store, but I guess some things just aren't meant to last. The strap broke. I fixed it, and it broke again. I fixed it again (removing the broken link) and the stupid thing broke again (this time on my way out to my car, spilling the contents). So tonight I broke down and bought a new purse. While I was there, I found a wallet set that I really liked. The purse was $16.00, the big wallet was $10.00 and the two smaller wallets, one for cards and the other for cash (so that I don't have to carry around the whole purse or my big wallet all the time) were $5.00 each. However, I now feel nice and organized. I have my driver's license and other “go for a quick trip” things in a small wallet with a wrist bracelet (my license, one check, $20 cash, some change, my library card, and a movie rental coupon). I have the rest of the cards I use on a regular basis, as well as my checkbook in a larger wallet with a wrist bracelet (for trips more expensive than going to the grocery store or movie rental store). Finally, I have all the cards that I rarely ever use but seem to need when I don't have them with me in the card wallet (Insurance, Teacher's Association, etc). It will just stay in the purse until I need one of them. Everything fits nicely into my new purse, which has room to hold my sunglasses and even a book to take along.

Other than that, I did pretty good at Wal-Mart. I stuck to my list pretty well. I got some laundry detergent, Clorox for colors and Woolite (thank you to whoever put the $1.00 off coupon by the Woolite!) I also got more 99 cent a pound General Tso's Chicken. I'm planning on making rice tomorrow, and am looking forward to more yummy meals. I'll let you know exactly how much it costs, but I think it's about 33 cents or less for a meal made this way. Just make sure you're at the Wal-Mart deli counter at about 8:40, the chicken always goes really fast...

It's nearly the end of the month. Last year at this time of the month I would have been worrying about my bills, wondering if I had enough money in my bank account to pay my rent and my parents. This year, now that I am practicing Voluntary Simplicity, I don't have to worry. There is plenty of money in the bank to cover my bills, as well as any incidental costs which I might have (like replacing a tire or two). I even have some extra money in the bank, about $1500, to be exact. That's what I'll have left over at the end of this month in my bank account after paying $400 to my parents (student loans), and $525 for my rent (utilities but phone, cable and Internet included). Not too bad considering the near zero balance I had at the end of every month last year (I can recall checking my balance and having less than $40 in my account). It's only the end of March...I can't wait to see how much money will be in my savings account at the end of the year. What' funny is that I don't really feel deprived. I don't think I've given up anything major. I mean, sure, I don't come home with bags of goodies from my shopping trips, but I'm not really missing anything. I still have food to eat, soda to drink and, yes, even new purses to tote around. I don't go out to eat as much, but if I really want to go out with friends, I do. I'm just conscious of how much money I've spent and how much I have left to spend. I think that the biggest thing which has helped me save money is that I don't carry my credit card. That's right, I don't carry it. I don't need it, so why carry it? I pay for everything in cash (though I did use my debit card to pay for my new prescription sunglasses, as I don't carry $200 around with me all the time). If I don't have the money in my wallet for it, then it wasn't on my shopping list and I don't need it.

Well, I'm off to bed now. I'll try to write again later this week. I've been doing quite a bit of research lately and will be adding the ideas of others to mine. My Composition students are working on their long research papers, and I thought it would be fun to do research with them. I'm really enjoying the things I've found to read so far and will let you know what I discover. Tomorrow is the big day... the piece about frugality I participated in will be on Fox 4 news out of Kansas City. I'll post a link to the video as soon as it is available. Have a wonderful week everyone, and don't be lured in by the new spring collection of clothes (or bright spring colored wallets). Wait a month, and they will already be going on sale.