Just days after I posted about our mission to stay out of Target for at least 30 days (which had actually been a goal for over a month at that point, so we're really going for 60 days I guess), I was doing my monthly credit card payment scheduling and was delighted to find a $0 balance on the Target card. Victory!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Off-Target project: Cheaper Challenge #1
October is a wild month for us, full of visitors and travel. Not much time to really get down and dirty with decluttering projects, and full of "special events" just waiting to derail our best-laid budget plans. But we're still trying to stick with our cut-down-on-spending goals! Over the next few weeks, I'll try to highlight some of the major points.
The first one is heartbreaking to me, but totally necessary. Target just may be my favorite store, ever. Unfortunately, history suggests that I am not capable of escaping that haven of "bargains" for under $100, even if I went in for a gallon of milk. I wish this were an exaggeration, but it's completely accurate. I am too easily enticed by the smart clothing (and it's only a $20 dress! What a great buy!), the baby section (what a cute sippy cup! it's only $5, we should try that out!), the dressed-up-as-healthy groceries (trail mix! what a great snack idea! never mind that it's 1/2 M&M's and costs $12 for the tub!), and the cosmetics section (something about the bright lights and clean layout suggest to me that if I buy their chapstick, my life will get better), all wrapped up in the promise of 5% off with my Target card. Blog posts like this one, as well as Ben's recent Target receipts, suggest I'm not alone.
Please note that I'm not trying to bash Target, which I'm sure is a perfectly lovely company. My problem is that I love it too much, and can't be trusted to stick to my list when I'm inside. In pretty much every department, the magic of the red target logo somehow entices me into believing that every item in the store is a great deal, and that buying and owning stuff from Target will make me a better, happier person. Time and again, I've shown that my best frugal intentions can't stand up against their wizardry.
I know that if I go into Target, I will buy things that we don't need. And that is completely antithetical to the simpler-cleaner-cheaper mindset. To make my life cheaper and simpler (and, by extension, also cleaner!), I'm going to avoid Target for the next 30 days.
(Hopefully longer). (At least until I have mastered the art of sticking religiously to a list). (FORESHADOWING to a future post!).
The first one is heartbreaking to me, but totally necessary. Target just may be my favorite store, ever. Unfortunately, history suggests that I am not capable of escaping that haven of "bargains" for under $100, even if I went in for a gallon of milk. I wish this were an exaggeration, but it's completely accurate. I am too easily enticed by the smart clothing (and it's only a $20 dress! What a great buy!), the baby section (what a cute sippy cup! it's only $5, we should try that out!), the dressed-up-as-healthy groceries (trail mix! what a great snack idea! never mind that it's 1/2 M&M's and costs $12 for the tub!), and the cosmetics section (something about the bright lights and clean layout suggest to me that if I buy their chapstick, my life will get better), all wrapped up in the promise of 5% off with my Target card. Blog posts like this one, as well as Ben's recent Target receipts, suggest I'm not alone.
Please note that I'm not trying to bash Target, which I'm sure is a perfectly lovely company. My problem is that I love it too much, and can't be trusted to stick to my list when I'm inside. In pretty much every department, the magic of the red target logo somehow entices me into believing that every item in the store is a great deal, and that buying and owning stuff from Target will make me a better, happier person. Time and again, I've shown that my best frugal intentions can't stand up against their wizardry.
I know that if I go into Target, I will buy things that we don't need. And that is completely antithetical to the simpler-cleaner-cheaper mindset. To make my life cheaper and simpler (and, by extension, also cleaner!), I'm going to avoid Target for the next 30 days.
(Hopefully longer). (At least until I have mastered the art of sticking religiously to a list). (FORESHADOWING to a future post!).
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Stairs Basket: Cleaner Accomplishment #1
(Disclaimer: this is day 1 of blogging. The simpler/cleaner/cheaper mission has been building for a month or two now).
Last night's step toward a simpler, cleaner home was cleaning out our stairs basket. The idea is that you put stuff in it that needs to go upstairs (or down) and then when it fills up you take care of it. Of course, this sucker has been at the bottom of our stairs with the exact same pile of crap in it pretty much since we moved in. I discovered as I cleaned it out that the situation is even more dire . . . I'm pretty sure we moved that basket from our last apartment already full of stuff, and never dealt with it.
We are hoarding, lazy folks. THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO GET SIMPLER AND CLEANER.
I'm proud to report that the basket is now empty, and destined to go to a friend of mine with a very stair-filled home who will use it much more responsibly. Cleaning it out yielded some impressive finds. The highlights:
- a bottle of sunscreen with an expiration date in 2003. Meaning it was purchased OVER A DECADE ago.
- a check from Ben's old employer, dated 2008 for $91. I'll be cashing that today.
- 5 caribiners of varying sizes and qualities. Note that no one in our family has ever been a serious rock-climber.
I'm terrible at taking before pictures, but here's the finished product (and actually, even the basket will leave soon):
Just looking at a clear staircase makes me feel like I can breathe a little easier.
Other steps we took yesterday:
SIMPLER: Photographing some things to post on craigslist and/or eBay. (When it seemed relevant, we asked friends if they wanted particular items first).
CLEANER: Actually busted out the feather duster to clear some ceiling cobwebs from the kitchen.
CHEAPER: Got a food-cart meal to take home for dinner. Lemon chicken platter, with pita. We add a bunch of chickpeas to this. Dinner for the family for a total cost of $7, with no wasted food and no one leaving hungry.
Last night's step toward a simpler, cleaner home was cleaning out our stairs basket. The idea is that you put stuff in it that needs to go upstairs (or down) and then when it fills up you take care of it. Of course, this sucker has been at the bottom of our stairs with the exact same pile of crap in it pretty much since we moved in. I discovered as I cleaned it out that the situation is even more dire . . . I'm pretty sure we moved that basket from our last apartment already full of stuff, and never dealt with it.
We are hoarding, lazy folks. THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO GET SIMPLER AND CLEANER.
I'm proud to report that the basket is now empty, and destined to go to a friend of mine with a very stair-filled home who will use it much more responsibly. Cleaning it out yielded some impressive finds. The highlights:
- a bottle of sunscreen with an expiration date in 2003. Meaning it was purchased OVER A DECADE ago.
- a check from Ben's old employer, dated 2008 for $91. I'll be cashing that today.
- 5 caribiners of varying sizes and qualities. Note that no one in our family has ever been a serious rock-climber.
I'm terrible at taking before pictures, but here's the finished product (and actually, even the basket will leave soon):
Just looking at a clear staircase makes me feel like I can breathe a little easier.
Other steps we took yesterday:
SIMPLER: Photographing some things to post on craigslist and/or eBay. (When it seemed relevant, we asked friends if they wanted particular items first).
CLEANER: Actually busted out the feather duster to clear some ceiling cobwebs from the kitchen.
CHEAPER: Got a food-cart meal to take home for dinner. Lemon chicken platter, with pita. We add a bunch of chickpeas to this. Dinner for the family for a total cost of $7, with no wasted food and no one leaving hungry.
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