Shopping Ban Update 11.13.15

It is officially day 4 of my shopping ban and I haven’t broken down. I’m feeling pretty good, if a little under caffeinated. The free hotel-quality coffee they have at work isn’t cutting it anymore, and if I didn’t already know I had a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card stashed away for tomorrow morning, I might’ve been seriously tempted to get a latte.

UPDATE: I wrote this last night. It is now Day 5, and sleeping terribly + needing to get gas = no time for Dunkin Donuts. I almost had a breakdown.

(Me, not enjoying the work coffee, but drinking it anyway)

So far this experiment has been less about money and more about preparedness (I made a terrible Girl Scout back in the day). It might seem stupid, but I know myself well enough to know that I’m not going to prepare a lunch the night before. Consequently, that means I’m making it in the morning now, which translates to waking up earlier. The free coffee at work continues to looking worse and worse.

Still, I’ve managed to eat something different at lunch every single day this week!

Day 1: Turkey sandwich, apple, cottage cheese

Day 2: Chili and crackers with ½ avocado

Day 3: Whole wheat wrap with turkey/avocado/salsa plus an apple

Day 4: Peanut butter and jam sandwich, ½ avocado, apple
Day 5: Crockpot chicken thighs + brown rice

The fact that I’ve actually remembered food every day this week is a small miracle. It also proves that maybe I’m not giving myself enough credit. I’m wondering if maybe my spending habits really are just out of laziness rather than lack of time…

I could also just be feeling philosophical from lack of espresso.

It has yet to show itself yet, but I’m also curious to find if I drop a few pounds at the end of these two weeks. I can’t hop down to the little café and grab a snack now, and I sure as hell don’t plan far enough to remember one. Combine that with the added exercise I’ve been doing, and we’ll maybe have a happy unexpected correlation. Starting a shopping ban at the same time as training for a 5k probably wasn’t my smartest choice, but we all have to live with our decisions, don’t we?

The weekend is approaching, and that normally means $$$. This is actually the first weekend since I’ve moved that I don’t have any plans, so it will be a true test of occupying my time considering I’ll also be alone. What are some of your suggestions for weekend fun that don’t include spending money?

I'm Doing a 2-Week Spending Ban Challenge

Meet Katie:

Self proclaimed shopaholic. The Devil Wears Prada makes me swoon regardless of how many times I've watch it and Confessions of a Shopaholic spoke to me on more levels than I'm willing to admit out loud. 

That is why, a particularly spendy weekend (thanks a lot, Sephora), I’ve made the executive decision to place myself on a self-imposed spending detox. A shopping ban, if you will.

I’ve heard stories of people doing such reckless things before like spending an entire year without buying anything new (uhm, yeah, not happening), or even going 6 months (still not happening). I’m not trying to light myself on fire here. No, I’m definitely going to have to crawl before I try to run a marathon.

The rules are as outlined below: I must go two full weeks without buying anything except for gas (a 45 minute commute dictates this unfortunate expense).

The Rulebook:

1.       Running Time: November 9^th- November 23^rd, 2015.
2.       All food must be eaten from the existing pantry/fridge unless it is given to me
3.       Absolutely no shopping of any kind (beauty, clothing, food, home, etc.)
4.       Gas is the only acceptable expense.
5.       I must record the pitfalls, woes, triumphs, and ultimate struggles of this experience as often as every day.

I’m expecting this to be difficult, mostly because the majority of my activities outside of work currently involve spending money. Given that I still haven’t found many friends in this new city, I spend most of my time alone, looking at websites filled with beautiful products or at the mall conveniently located about half a mile from my apartment.

This is a new opportunity to get creative with how I spend my time. I’ve been slacking on work outs as of late, and my work conveniently provides a free gym. There are a multitude of projects I’ve been ignoring inside my apartment including unpacking the last box of random “stuff” that really just needs to be put away. I even got a free Christmas tree this past weekend (thanks, Mom)! With so much I actually need to do, it’s a wonder I found time to even shop! (hahahahahahahahahaha)

At the end of this two week spending detox, I will allow myself to buy the turtlenecks I’ve been eyeing from Lands’ End (hi employee holiday discount) so that I can wear them for the holidays. PS- if you don’t know that turtlenecks are a thing again, look no further. I’ll be updating you on outfits once I have these bad boys in my hands.

This is truly going to be a test of my creativity and resourcefulness. There are tons of ways to get around spending money…I’m usually just too lazy to figure them out.

Let the fun begin.