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Monday, May 7, 2012

The Cheapo Cheapens Challenge: Week 3

Week 3:April 29-May 5


Recap
  • I have had a couple non-work days after a couple of months of working every possible work day. I felt pretty down about this.
  • I did not go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I had an excellent work opportunity Saturday morning. Besides, we still have plenty of beautiful produce left from last week.
  • I did not spend any money from Monday to Friday, except on a small work-related purchase.
  • I also did not do anything until Z. came home from a work trip. I pretty much just stuck around the apartment, avoided the grocery store, went to work, or strolled in the neighborhood. I made a point to create meals using only what I already had. I do have a new, tasty recipe!

What Did I Learn
  • The envelope system is working but evolving to fit my preferences. I have added a sheet of paper that I keep track of all my grocery expenditures. I do not like to carry much cash or I forget to grab some which does not work too well when you unexpectedly go to the grocery store. By keeping track of expenses, I know how much I should actually have and later I can deposit the cash back into my account for the purchases made with my card. I am still thinking about this problem.
  • After being so closefisted all week, it felt good to spend money over the weekend. This has been an old, repeated offense: being good for awhile then really wanting to spend money. I reflected on why I might feel this way. I felt what I thought was more normal. To me, normal is: I want something, so I get it. In this case, I had no problem because I was getting needed groceries. But this idea that not thinking about a purchase and impulsively buying as normal has me pondering. I do not have this line of thinking when it comes to larger purchases but I do if it is just a few dollars. By shifting my perspective of normal to conscious, mindful purchasing even on the small purchases, I will stay even more on track.
  • I took a small step towards cheapening by deducting the $1 I spent on my Sunday paper from my grocery envelope.
  • Friday night, Z. took me out on a nice date, which he does frequently. I thought about how it is easy not to spend your money when someone else foots the bill.
  • Which led to this next thought. I am wondering how to budget for eating out in a way that I can be successful at and stick to.
What Can I Improve
  • This week revealed areas of weakness. For example, I already discussed splurging after a week of extreme frugality.
  • Lunch on Saturday is a challenge for me. We went out Friday but I still really wanted to get lunch somewhere on Saturday. This particularly Saturday, I came home from a few hours of work very hungry, once home Z. and I were going to leave together to do our errands. Lunch was delicious (thank you, Jimmy Johns!) but I was impulsive. My plan is to have something already prepared in the refrigerator before Saturday so I make a more conscious decision.
Previously: Week 1 and Week 2

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