What Did I Buy Today?

Don't worry.  Despite my temporary weak moment in Target the other day, I'm still on my shopping ban and Penny Pinching Living journey.  Which is why I did break my ban for a teensy tiny second to buy this:

Buy yours from ModCloth

I know what you're saying...."You BOUGHT a book to tell you NOT to buy things??"  Hear me out.  Just like my Mom's Journal I picked up to keep track of my weekly menus, I like to have things written down, in person so I can look at them frequently.  Having something written down seems so much more tangible to me.

I keep track of our checkbook register, but I usually don't check it faithfully every single day.  I know a running total or how much I think we have in our account, but I don't worry about writing everything down while I'm spending it. I guess because the checking account is mine and Marty's both.  I can't keep track of everything he's spending as he's spending it.  But I can hold myself accountable.  I can keep this book and write down every single thing I've purchased that day.  Let me explain this book a little further....

When you first open the book, there's two pages:  on one, you write down your checking and savings totals. And if that isn't depressing enough, then you have slots to write down all your debts:  credit cards, mortgage, utilities, phone, TV, Internet, travel expenses, loans...*sigh*  It's nice to see everything in one place so I know what I have to conquer.  Of course I know all my debts and who they're to, but to actually see the entire totals written down all in one place is a scary thing.  It makes me want to knock all my debts out.

Then, the next pages are my favorite.  Goals.  One page is for small goals.  Easy things I want to accomplish quickly.

This is the spot for my goal to stop eating out more than twice a week (that includes getting a McDonald's Dr. Pepper).  Save money for a rug for our living room.  Save money for a couch.  Little things.

Then there's the BIG goals.

Save money to build my dream home.  Pay off credit cards.  Pay off loans.  Become debt-free.  I have lots of goals.  But they're all just floating around in my head.  Writing them out makes them "real" to me.

The rest of the book is filled with pages to write down my expenses.  Who it was to, how much--and my favorite--enough room to write WHY I bought it.  I've talked about it before...I'm an impulse buyer.  I convince myself in the second that I NEED that item.  I can't live without it and it will enhance my life in one way or other.  This book helps me write a reason for why I bought the item.  If I can't think of a reason, it goes back.  Plain and simple.  Or if the reason isn't convincing enough, it goes back.  The end.

I have a feeling this book and are going to be the best of friends.