Day 2 - negative checking positive karaoke

Back to work after a week off for Xmas...so hopefully I earned some $$.  Brought leftovers for lunch so didn't spend there.  Tonight am buying Chinese for New Years Eve dinner as my folks are here.  Logged in online and realized my credit card bills for this month exceeded the amount I have in my checking account...ouch.  Had to do an emergency transfer from my savings to cover the bills.  ICK!  I had been paying some extra on my mortgage (more than needed) so I am going to scale that back to make up the savings debit and then try again later in the year.  So that should really enforce my desire to be more mindful of what I am spending.

Giving - I am loaning our karaoke machine to the church youth group for their New Year's Eve party.

Day 1 - Target beckons but is barren

Shopping at Target today but with very specific needs - 1 robe for Loulou...lost hers, I have no idea where, refills for our label maker and some undershirts as the weather has turned chilly here.  Found the shirts, but not a robe in sight and they didn't have our brand of refill for the labelmaker at Target.  Let her buy a pack of gum at checkout after shushing her requests for toys and art supplies (kid, we just had Xmas!!!).  Went on Amazon and ordered new robe and some cartridges for label maker.  Put some movies on my amazon wishlist to watch in the future.

Giving - taught preschool class at church and had a fun time painting kids hands so they could handprint.  It was cold and grey and it was hard to get out of bed.  

Not shopping, giving

I think about this once in a while...not shopping and seeing if I can save some $$$.  I have so many things and too much stuff in some areas of my life.  But there is such an allure of shopping, choosing, purchasing.  So here's what I'll try to do.

1.  All catalogs go straight to the recycle bin.  (I have already opted out of them but they show up when I buy something.)
2,  Email shopping goes straight to the junk folder.
3.  Credit cards will be less accessible.
4.  If I have to, I will put things on a wish list and not into the shopping basket.
5.  At the end of 1 month, I will examine my wish list and choose 1 thing if any at all.
6.  I will use the money I save to put away for future big things (car) or things for others (gifts, charitable contributions).
7.  I will blog about any emotions, struggles I have with this in hopes that it will help others as well as help me.