Pro Tip: Shop Your Bestie's Closet

I've always loved sharing my clothes and jewelry with friends.  And it's always been a crying shame that none of my friends wear a size 6 shoe!  But since I've always just bought new clothes whenever I needed wanted something different to wear, I haven't really been much of a borrower myself.  Well friends, don't be surprised if I raid your closet this year!

But seriously, we should all be sharing our clothes more often!  It's the perfect solution.  You get to wear something that feels new and that you've never been photographed in, without spending a dime.  Well unless you have to pay for dry cleaning after you spill red wine down the front... Oh, just me?

My husband John and I went on a weekend getaway to Chicago last weekend, and in 2016, this would have been the perfect excuse for buying several new outfits to wear.  Since that's not an option this year, I hit up my best friend Tracy and snagged 2 of her adorable tops to take with me to the windy city.  Thank you, Tracy!

I felt great in my borrowed clothes, still experienced the "thrill" of wearing something new, and didn't feel like I missed out on buying something new for the trip.  If you're trying to minimize your spending or shopping habits, but you still love putting together fun and new outfits, hit up your friends!  But maybe switch to white that night.  ;)

More Pro Tips here!

Why the Heck Am I in Target!?

So I've been "sober" for 17 days.  Technically it's been longer than that since I didn't buy anything the last few weeks of December, but I've been officially on the wagon since Jan 1st.  It has been a bit easier than I thought, although I still have lots of momentum.  I mean who would I be if I couldn't keep my New Year's Resolution for 17 days!?  I think it's February when we're all allowed to stop hitting the gym and starting eating queso again.  LMK.

To be honest, most of my success isn't because I have strong willpower, but because I have been smarter at avoiding situations that will create temptation.  That's why on Saturday around 11:14am, while walking past the sweater section (oh that is also adjacent to the make-up... so soft, adorable clothing to the right and gorgeous colors and shiny packages to the left) I stopped in my tracks and shouted "Why the heck am I in Target!?"  Well the language might have been a tad more colorful but I'm a lady - at least on paper.

So why would I willingly spend a Saturday morning at the place that sucks money out of women's bank accounts even quicker than I guzzle wine?  Like seriously - do you know anyone that knows how to get out of Target with a bill less than $200?  Or without buying something that wasn't on the list? 

But back to the story, I was there.  And I somehow convinced my husband to join Beckett and I on this shopping excursion so I couldn't back out now.  And y'all - John rather spend 2 hours cleaning toilets than go shopping so this was huge.  I needed to buy Christmas presents for my precious niece (don't ask why I was just now doing that because I don't even have an answer for you), plus some household toiletry type items.

It was hard, but I stayed the course.  We still spent too much money, but I didn't buy a single clothing, jewelry, shoes, or make-up item.  Or home decor which is also important to note because a gorgeous gold table lamp and faux marble coffee mug were both hollering my name.  VICTORY.

I thought I was home-free.  Out of Target without breaking any of my rules and headed home.  Then what should I hear... "Hey babe, let's go by the outlet mall."  WAIT WHAT!?  Since when does John want to go shopping at the outlets - especially on a SATURDAY.  The parking lot of the outlet mall on Saturday is pretty much John's version of hell.  I could have said no, but to be fair, he desperately needs new black work shoes and since he has spent about $100 on clothes in the last 8 years (while I've worn out the strip on my Discover card approximately 76 times), I can't enforce my resolution on him.

So off we went.  And I did it!  To be honest, there was a touch-and-go moment at the Steve Madden outlet when I spotted a pair of camel booties for 80% off (80% off people!!!!!) and had to shut my eyes, hold my baby a little tighter, and remind myself why I don't even come close to qualifying for needing another pair of boots.

Rewind a month or so, and I would have gotten a thrill from coming home with several shopping bags.  I would have hung the things in my closet, placed the booties on my shoe shelf, and felt "happy."  But a few hours later, I wouldn't have still felt happy.  The next week?  Not a chance.  It's been 3.5 days since I went to both Target and the outlet mall - and didn't buy a darn thing - and man do I feel happy about that.

I might need to avoid Target for the next 11.5 months, though.

Pro Tip: Block Websites

If I'm going to make this happen, I'm going to have to change some behaviors that will just tempt me to shop.  Some of these behaviors are more like habits since I've been doing them for so long, including online browsing and shopping.  My first pro tip: block shopping websites!

I use Google Chrome to surf the web, so I used this tutorial to block specific websites:

If I have a weak moment and try to navigate to one of my favorite shopping sites (I'm looking at you Nordstrom), I'll get this message instead:

I'm also getting a little kick out of the construction worker dude's admonishments.  I've named him Bill.  

I can just hear myself throughout the year already.  Come on Bill, I just want to SEE what they've got in the Half-Yearly Sale!  I'm not going to buy anything, Bill, I promise!  Let me just BROWSE, Bill!  DAMMIT BILL!

Now theoretically, I could just go un-block the sites if I wanted to, but it'll at least take me much more work to do so and will give me a second to garner resolve.  Plus, Bill will know!

If you're an impulsive online shopper like me, maybe this pro tip will help you, too!

Monday Motivation: Have Less, Do More

I'm using this inspirational phrase to motivate myself this week and throughout the year.

If I spend less time and money accumulating possessions, I'll have more money and energy to use on much more important and enriching pursuits.  Experiences rather than things. Character-building rather than closet-filling. Giving rather than receiving.

Click here for more motivation and have an awesome doing-more week!

The Ground Rules

I decided to post the official rules for my spending this year, as I'm notorious for rationalizing purchases.  I can brilliantly craft reasons why purchases are not only necessary, but practically life-saving.

I love you Isla, but no, no the world does not get better when you shop.  And I'm pretty sure the economy doesn't depend on my credit card bill, either.

So here are the items that are strictly off-limits for 2017:

• Any type of clothing items for myself, including socks and the like
• Footwear of any kind
• Jewelry
• Perfume
• Make-up - except for mascara (Because nobody needs to use year-old mascara, please)
• Candles
• Home decor items - except for the remaining letters needed to finish my alphabet wall in the playroom

Using gift cards for these items is also off-limits.  I need to break the habit of buying material goods, regardless of how I pay for them.  Thank goodness gift cards don't expire anymore!

What can I buy?

• Food (obvi)
• Consumables for the house (tp, paper towels, batteries, etc.)
• Hygiene products (you're welcome)
• Coffee and wine (I might be crazy, but I'm not that crazy)
• Clothes for my son Beckett - but only things he truly needs in the next size or for the weather
• Items for Beckett's 1st birthday and birthday party

When I look at my off-limits list, I feel a little yikes-ey.  I haven't gone more than a week or so without buying something from that list, so going a whole year!?!

But then I just want to slap the privilege right out of myself.  How will not purchasing those things be "hard work"?  Hard work is living in poverty.  Hard work is hiding your religious beliefs or sexual orientation so you won't be jailed or killed.  Hard work is not knowing where you will get your next batch of clean water from.  The fact that this year might be hard for me is just further proof that things must change.  Let's do this!

Monday Motivation: Statistics

A college course entitled "Statistics" sounds about as thrilling to me as watching golf on TV (seriously, TV golf is the worst amiright?), but I love some good numbers to back up a cause.  These statistics are shocking, and they drive home the point that materialism in this country has gotten way out of control.  Like seriously.

*American families have an average of $16,000 in credit card debt

*Americans altogether have a staggering $747 BILLION in credit card debt (that's a B, folks, not an M)

*In 2005, the wealthiest 20% of the world accounted for 76.6% of total private consumption.  The poorest fifth just 1.5%.

*Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.

*At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

*1.6 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live without electricity.

*1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.

And here are some more sobering facts.

HOW? How is it okay for us to continue spending money on unnecessary crap, when we see these cold hard facts?  How is it okay to rationalize another new Lush shirt, another pair of Kendra Scott earrings, or another pair of Ugg boots when 80% of the world's people live on less than $10 a day?  What if we took the money we've been spending at the mall and spent it on helping others?  

I've done a great job of ignoring those in poverty - out of sight, out of mind is a real thing.  And I've done a great job at filling my giant walk-in closet with things I "needed" or "deserved."  These shocking and sad statistics are my motivation today to rid myself of my materialistic attitudes and habits.  Jesus tells us what he thinks about material possessions, and it's time I stop ignoring Him.