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A few days ago, I posted about triggers for overspending. I mentioned an upcoming shopping trip and my fear that I would slip back into frantic shopaholism - yesterday was my first trip to a mall in 9 months. I’m proud to report that I made it through the experience without kicking anyone in the shins, AND I spent less than I expected. My safeguards (texting a friend before checking out, taking only my debit card, etc.) proved to be great ways to keep from going overboard.
On a personal note, I got along with my ex-husband just fine for a change. He paid for all of Jay’s stuff (except his shoes, which I bought) and even bought dinner, meaning I don’t have to subtract it from my restaurant points for the month. I don’t know what got into him but I’ll definitely take it after 20 months of paying for everything myself!
Here’s what I bought:
- $101.21 at Shoe Carnival - got Jay a pair of shoes and a pair for me at 1/2 off
- $150.52 at Old Navy - got 3 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of flip flops, and 6 shirts for me (everything I got was on sale)
- $52.33 at Toys R Us - Jay’s birthday gifts
- $9.50 at Pier 1 - I bought 2 reed diffusers that are being discontinued (originally $18 each)
So I spent $313.56, and I already had $175 of that saved from my tax return to go toward back-to-school. Since Jay’s dad bought all his clothes and supplies, I’m paying myself back. Total out of pocket: $138.56. Wooohooo! (I had actually given myself $300 on top of the $175 “just in case,” and I’m so proud of myself for not spending all of it.)
I can’t believe how hard it was to spend money - I truly thought I was going to go wild and spend every dime in my checking account. Several times I picked up things I didn’t need, like a really cute purse in Old Navy and some stuff at Pier 1, but I was able to put it back without even texting my friend for help. After 9 months of detox (borrowing a phrase from my friend at The Year of Shopping Detox), it seems my spending addiction is finally in remission.