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Home > A Good Sign, & Hand-me-down-downs

A Good Sign, & Hand-me-down-downs

January 25th, 2007 at 03:00 am

I’ve got an indicator that my spending patterns won’t change much. How do I know? I made an appointment to get my hair cut February 27.

Now how in the world does this mean I won’t change too much? My Challenge is over 02/28/07. The person I made my appointment with is pricier than I’m used to; even if it wasn’t, it’s still an expense that I could easily postpone 2 days. But nope, I don’t want to save any expenses up for after Challenge; it would feel like cheating. If I want to fill up with gas or buy some groceries come the end of February, so be it. I might need to maybe spend less in some areas to make room in others, but I don’t want to adjust any “regular” spending post-Challenge to make my numbers look good. I’m willing to take a $60 “Toiletries and Hair care” hit in February, because that’s when I could get an appointment.

So I am feeling like I won’t be a wild and crazy splurger. I don’t feel as if I’ve been starved let loose in a grocery store. Sure my spending has been arbitrarily restricted beyond my usual frugality, but it hasn’t been unpleasant. I know I have the benefits of being fully abled, child free, and debt free-I’m not saying low income is easy peasy-but I have been having a very full, rich, undeprived life here in Humboldt.

Unrelated side note, I am getting mountains of hand-me-downs. My co-worker buddy who is losing a ton of weight (actually we determined she has lost 4% of a ton) kicked down even more clothes. She passed along some hand-me-downs she got-what would I call them? Hand-me-down- downs? Anyway, two nice sweaters. Tonight I picked up two bags full from another friend who is purging. I know many won’t survive the trying on process, but I’ll get at least ten items out of this, I bet. This will reinforce my position that being unabashededly unashamedly frugal reaps rewards….not only do I not have to tiptoe, I get swag.

Unrelated side note two: I am making progress walking to work and riding my exercise bike. I am not making the progress I had hoped, but I need to be happy with any progress.

Unrelated side note three: I’ve decided to go fast food free in 2007. Not an original idea, many others do it, and credit is due to MarianneJ for directly inspiring me. I have discovered an additional alternate. Besides stocking the freezer with pre-made meals, and stocking cans of soup, etc., for emergency lazy meals, I also rediscovered a local taco truck. I can get 2 Baja style tacos for $1.65 each, or a great burrito for $4, assuage a desire for a little greasy goodness, stay local, and stay reasonably healthy.

I like having an “out” as it were. I’ve wanted to avoid chain fast food, but miss the option of indulging angst with hot salty fat. Huh? I’ve used many other vices in the past, and I’m a good egg now, but sometimes I treat anger or sadness with grease. Most of the time I am a big girl and deal with my emotions, every now and then I want to stuff my feelings with greasy goodness and I allow myself. Taco truck it will be.

4 Responses to “A Good Sign, & Hand-me-down-downs”

  1. Bookie Says:
    1169699348

    Interesting observation concerning your reasons why a post-challenge binge was unlikely -- no sense of deprivation. I had that with the no-spend challenges we were doing last year. Even after a couple of weeks, there wasn't the feeling that I "deserved" to go out and blow money.

    And I can identify with the therapeutic application of dietary grease. These days I don't drink, I don't smoke; food is about the only indulgence I have left. *Poor mee.*

    Smile

  2. threebeansalad Says:
    1169736087

    I have a feeling that after a year without any fast food you'll no longer desire it in times of stress. You'll learn new ways to make meals in a pinch and deal with stressful emotions. Personaly, after I stopped eatoing fast food I realized "Huh? It doesn't even taste good!"

    I guess this is in a similar vein to your not anticipating a post-Challenge spending binge.

    Best of luck.

  3. fern Says:
    1169743515

    I used to like to indulge in a veyr occasional quarter pounder with cheese at mcDonald's, but even that i haven't done for a few years now.

    The closest i come to fast food is Boston Market, a pizza or Chinese, which i cannot give up.. But no burger joints or taco bells.

    oh well, wel all have our demons!

  4. KEALINA Says:
    1169760221

    i would feel like it's cheating to put it off too... and i know what you mean by feeling deprived... we are on a tight (self-imposed) budget and i rarely feel deprived...although, of course, there are times when i do...
    i also love hand me downs... i get tons of stuff my my SIL because we are about the same size and she buys tons of clothes...
    lol at greasy food... i've also been known to hit up salty or sweet food depending on mood...

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