Spending Fast Update

Time for an update on my no-spending spree!! Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Well, I'm here to tell ya I feel as "spree" as ever!!  I honestly had no idea I was so addicted to shopping and "stuff". If you've ever seen Madame Blueberry in Veggie Tales, I was definitely turning into that self-gratifying and ever-so-demanding Blueberry who has it all but wants "more, more, more!". NO MORE!

This past month of not shopping and not spending money on anything besides groceries and gas has been absolutely liberating! I feel as though I have reached a new level of contentment and am more able to appreciate the blessings that God has poured out in my life. My kids and hubby have been very supportive and I have more time to spend with them as I spend less time at the store, mall, online shopping, and coffee shops.

For Mother's Day the girls pitched in and gave me a Home Depot card so I could go buy some plants for my garden! Aren't they SO sweet? I've always enjoyed this spring outing to Home Depot but this year, even though I had less to spend than previous years, I enjoyed it even more. Carefully choosing which plants I REALLY want to see this summer and saying no to all the other ones was actually more enjoyable than just going in there "willy nilly" and buying whatever my little heart desired. Who knew?!

I was telling a friend today that things do take a little longer and I need to be more organized to make life run smoothly without shopping. For instance, I take a few extra minutes to brew my own cup of tea to go instead of driving through Timmy's or Starbucks. Half an hour one afternoon to cut off a pair of jeans, that were too short anyway, to make them into cute little shorts instead of heading to the mall to buy pretty much the same thing. Taking a few minutes to hunt around and find a paint brush to apply stain to the deck (which I bought LAST year!) instead of running to Home Depot to buy a new brush. These things are teaching me that I am not only stuff-oriented but also LAZY! God is definitely doing a work in me through this journey.

Someone asked me recently what will happen when September 6th rolls around and I can shop again. My answer at the time was "GO SHOPPING!!" but now, I'm not so sure. This is a new lifestyle that I am enjoying so I think I will likely continue with my no-spending rule. If I don't really NEED it then why should I go buy it? We have SO much in our houses I'm sure we can live off of our current bounty for several months or years to come!!