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Monday, May 9, 2011

Day #21 - 30 Day No Shopping Challenge - Give a little bit...


Outfit:
Striped Shirt - Gap
Jeans - Forever21
Shoes - Bongo
Bag - New Look (UK)


All my efforts during the last 20 days have not been in vain.

Although the point of the challenge is to see if I can really make it, the big picture has to do with money. Since I stopped spending, my bank account has grown significantly. And, it allowed me to buy my mother a couple of gifts for Mother's Day. The act of giving definitely is better than receiving.

Speaking of which, the above is what I wore to Mother's Day dinner with my parents, husband and aunt. And, due to the money I've stashed away, it was nice to pay for dinner for everyone, especially for two of the women in my life who mean so much to me.

I'm normally not this candid with the type of money I spend, and while I work and have bills to pay, I am in no way "well-off". I make a normal salary that allows me to pay my bills and have some spending money. It's nice if you can splurge $350 on shoes and whatnot, but for me, that's not an option.

To break it down, my shopping activity looks a little like this (on a weekly basis):
  • Mall Trips - Average of at least $50
  • Online shopping - Average order of $40 (shipping kills me)
  • Misc: Average $30 spent on accessories
  • Makeup and toiletries - Average $30 - A trip to CVS for hand soap ends with me buying mascara, nail polish and other stuff that definitely wasn't on the list.

So that's $150 a week x 4 = $600 per month! Um... That's way too much money to be spending on clothes and misc. stuff.

The novelty of not shopping has had some great benefits:
  • Physically seeing the savings in my piggy bank
  • Being able to buy better gifts for others
  • Developing a better thought process for making decisions when spending money "Do I really need this?"

But I only have 9 more days to go... anything could happen.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

I really love the striped t-shirt and the shoes are very pretty :)

Unknown said...

I love the shoes. Cute comfy outfit!
Nicole

Unknown said...

Love this!!! Good for you!! And so nice of you to treat your mom and Aunt who I bet really loved the treat from her niece!

Unknown said...

im so proud of you! cant beleive its been 20 days!


<3 steffy
Steffys Pros and Cons

House Of Jeffers said...

Thanks all! I'm quite surprised myself that I've made it this far. 9 days seems like nothing now!

Jen

Kelly said...

Thanks for the lovely comment & follow!
I love this outfit, very cute.
I'm a new follower too!

Kelly
Enterkelly.blogspot.com

Aprilia Love said...

Thanks for visiting my blog lovely lady!
We're definitely two very cool cats if we love Domo and Nylon! <3
As for spending per week - I also make a normal salary and try to save as much as I can. I limit myself to things I buy and write down exactly how much I spend everyday. I add up the amount at the end of every week and then I have a clear indication of how much I have spent and if I have gone overboard, it makes me feel guilty, lol.
I love saving and seeing my bank account inflate but it's also important to treat yourself every now and then - it makes the saving well worth it!

xx

http://aprilialove.com

Melody said...

Hey.. I'm from NJ too! I love those wedges..Very cute!!

Harija said...

love your outfit!
My Lyfe ; My Story

@MyLyfeMyStory on twitter

Amber Renee / Miseducated.com said...

love the outfit -- loving black stripes right now! also your hair is gorgeous! xox

Cinderella's Closet said...

I love your T-Strap wedges, they are so cool. I've been looking for peep-toe ones, but can't find the right one.

xoxo

callie said...

This outfit is so crisp and clean and perfect. Your hair is amazing!!