Halfway through my year of "needs only" shopping......and some confessions

OK, so I started my "needs only" shopping thing on Dec 1, 2018. Yesterday was June 1, 2019. So that is the 6 month mark. Huh. It doesn't feel like that long. It has been interesting for sure, but I don't think about it that much anymore. If I do actually sit and think about it, I feel like, maybe I am not learning as many lessons as I could or should. Like, the first couple months it was so novel and whatnot, and I had all these epiphanies because I totally and completely altered my habits. Now, it is just sort of, going along. Ok, as the title indicated, I do have to come clean on a couple of things. I do want this to be a place of accountability, and I have not been 100% "needs only" for the last 6 months. I have not purchased any clothing (Ok I ordered a blouse to replace one that got ripped, but I hated the fit, so I returned it and haven't bought another. I used to wear it a ton at work, but I have plenty of others so I am fine), purses/bags, shoes, jewelry or makeup (except to replace things I ran out of). But I did buy some things that aren't really dire "needs". You guys, I was making a bunch of batches of cookies and using my old hand mixer and it stopped working. So I bought a KitchenAid mixer. I have been considering getting one for many years but never thought I needed it. I have been baking and cooking a ton more lately, so I felt it was actually a reasonable purchase, and since my hand mixer wasn't getting it done, I felt justified. My sister gave me the green light on that purchase as well. I think. Pretty sure I didn't make that up in my head..... Anywho, so there was that. And then, recently, I was on a killer solo road trip up the coast of California and I had a blast. But, something about travel brings out the spender in me. So when I was in San Francisco, I saw a beautiful hand crafted wood hairbrush....and I bought it. I have used it daily and love it, and I threw out two other brushes that it replaced (Ok, they aren't actually thrown out, they are in my holding pen, the place where I keep things that I am considering giving away. If I don't notice, think about them or want to use them for a few weeks or months, I sell them or give them away). And, I collect patches from places I go (I just finished putting all the ones from the past 20 years on a board with a quote, I really dig how it turned out!), so I bought a patch at Muir Woods and a Christmas ornament. So there you go. I've not been perfect. Aaaand, if I am being honest, I have bought a couple of things for Fitz (crate for my sister's house, fabric water bowl for hiking-so great!-used my REI dividend for that anyway) that I am not too bent out of shape about because they make my life a lot easier, are very useful, and I didn't really set any strict rules about him and things that might come up for him.

I suppose that one of the things I have noticed is that it is still possible to spend a lot of money even if you aren't buying "things", especially if you aren't paying much attention to it. I did start putting my money in other places that give me MUCH more value than a new purse or shirt (hiring a housekeeper and doing some sessions with a dating coach) so that has been wonderful. But I think I also started going out to eat more and spending more money on more expensive groceries. I think I got into a mindset of "I am not shopping, so I don't have to worry about budgeting/I can buy whatever type of food I want". But no, that spending adds up quickly, just like the other "shopping" does. So, for the next six months, I want to focus on funneling my money to places where it will do the most good. I am not changing my shopping rules, but I am going to make and stick to a budget (I know, seems ridiculous that I didn't before, but I didn't think I would need to with all the money I would be saving from not "shopping"). I am still in the process of really thinking and deciding what I want priorities to be for money that I save. But I don't have to decide that now. So that's the update.