stop buying things i dont need.

I’m still having a lot of success with this one. I have not purchased anything that could be considered “non-essential” since I really committed this goal to mind. Honestly, it doesn’t feel as hard now as it did when I first added it. I still have so much crap I want to get rid of (shoes, clothes, dvd’s), so it’s key that I do not start bringing more stuff in. I don’t even want to think about all the money I wasted on junk. My savings could’ve been huge by now!

This has actually been a lot easier than I previously thought. I haven’t bought anything unnecessary in 2 weeks. I really need to save money & declutter what I already have, so as long as I keep my focus on those 2 things…this goal just seems to fall into place. One of my big downfalls is online shopping, so I deleted all of the shopping sites from my bookmarks & am automatically deleting every email that comes in from a shopping site. I need to have myself removed from their mailing lists, but that’s a whole nother task! Once the temptation is removed, it’s a lot easier to just not buy anything.

I realize this is something I spend alot of money on. I’m somewhat of a sneaker addict. I have been collecting sneakers for 9 years & have over 60 pairs now. I am constantly watching for the new releases & trying to track down hard to find sneakers as well. Me saying I give up sneakers is BIG. I do feel I need to do this, so I’m getting this down in writing now on 43things. I really need to plan for my goals which are:
1) Enroll in a Spanish immersion school in Central America for 6-8 weeks this summer.
2) Start graduate school in Fall 07 (hopefully in Milan, Italy- a very expensive city!)
3) Build up my savings enough so that I can minimize the amount of debt grad school will put me in.
^I realize all of these things are what really matter to me, so I am committed to staying focused on these goals.

I am making alot more money (working 2 jobs) than I was just a few years ago, but it seems like I just keep spending it up. I have been bringing my lunch to work most days(which is saving me money), but I still find myself giving in to things (mainly clothes & shoes) that I have to have (or so I tell myself). I am planning on doing a closet clean-out & selling things I don’t need on ebay. I am also planning on setting up a clothing/misc. item budget & really sticking to it. If anyone has advice on how to get over the “I need to buy this” feeling, please let me know!

since I added this goal, I have definitely been more mindful of what I’m buying. I actually resisted the urge to buy some mango car fresheners b/c I have a whole pack of vanilla left. Before I would have just grabbed the new ones(even tho I don’t need them) without a second thought.