Tuesday, Realization

     Yesterday was just a very nice day.  It was not too hot or too cold.  The sun was out and the sky was blue.  It was just beautiful.  I sewed and had many customers in and out. About 4 in the afternoon I laid down for an hour and then made dinner.  We ate squash and tomatoes out of the garden and a nice salad.  I grilled chicken skewers.  Then Hubs rode his bike and I walked  the bridges.  When we got home I was able to work on my plastic bag rug for a couple of hours and watch a documentary with Hubs.  Just a nice peaceful day and I could use a few more months of these.

     Not that there were not aggravations, as in the dog disappeared twice and we had to look for him, I was on the phone and trying to finish something at the sewing machine and Hubs came in and demanded a new check book, so that caused an eruption.  (by the way he still has no check book) I get very frustrated when my work is interrupted by nonsense.

     Life is never continual blue skies, even when we want it to be.And boy can I complain when things go wrong.  Whine, sniff.

     This debt free journey ( 40 years, I am like the children of Moses) has been so long.  I longed for the freedom and contentment of the freedom from debt. I am scarred and scared, but I am also at peace.

     I think the realization that I have enough.  Not wanting to accumulate more stuff.  I don't need anything.  I have clothes to wear, good food to eat, a roof over my head.  I am trying to develop new habits to fill the time I used to spend shopping.   Shopping is fun and I do enjoy finding a good bargain, but do I need that item?  If I buy it as a gift will the other person need that item?  It was so easy for me to shop for bargain gifts, justifying that they were not for me, but they still put me over budget.

     When I finally mastered not buying things to satisfy my craving to spend, I started buying food.  now I justified this because we would use the food. Pretty soon the freezers are full and the pantry is groaning and you are still looking for bargains in the food sales to spend your grocery budget on.  So if your budget is $300.00, but you have enough of everything except say $100.00 worth of fresh, you can put the other $200.00 toward debt.  I made myself this year starting in January quit buying any item at the grocer unless it was needed.  Sometimes I broke my rules if it was meat on a very good sale.

     Let's face it,I just like to spend money.  These three things have helped me to realize I have enough and to help me stop spending to try and get out of debt.

1. Make a game out of saving money
 a. What can I eliminate to save money?
 b. What do I have on hand that can replace that item?
 c. What skills do I possess to make the item?
2. Stop going into stores that tempt you to spend. (Ross, TJ Maxx)
 a. If you are bored have some low cost projects you can work on.
 b. Bake something from scratch for someone, make a presentation
 c. take a walk a long walk get yourself tired out, then collapse in front of the TV  it is free.
3. Stop going to the grocery store except when you truly need something.
  a. If the item can be substituted do that.  Stay out of the store.
  b. change you strategy, so you wanted to make chocolate chip cookies but no chips, then make peanut butter instead. Use what you have.
  c. Plan meals around what you have.  If am item is missing then switch the game plan.
  d. if you cannot switch then only buy that item.  Go in with a $5.00 bill or whatever it will take so you can't peruse.

By using these three strategies this past 9 months I have really reduced my spending.  Now that I am so close to being out of debt, I don't even really desire to by things I don't need.

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim