I Promised Heather...

Ok, whew!

Now that Pentecost is over and Mothers' Day is behind me, and Jamie comes back on Wednesday, I finally feel like I have a minute to breathe. Which is good -- I like me alive!

An update on my spending strike:
This is hard! I find myself craving everything under the sun, even the things I wouldn't normally buy. In the check-out line at the grocery store the other day, I found myself wondering if I needed to buy a copy of a magazine. I think I've probably only EVER purchased a magazine at the checkout line under 2 conditions: 1) I was buying it for someone else, or 2) a month ago when body+soul had an eco-friendly issue. I have my subscriptions, but I never even think about buying the ones at the counter.

Groceries are exorbitantly priced now. Good heavens! I haven't been "real shopping" in about 2 months because that's just the way I shop. I have run in for a few fresh things now and then, or the one item I was missing, but not the big shopping trip. WOW! Prices really have gone up. Perhaps that was what helped me stay so strong yesterday when I went shopping. I bought everything on my list and nothing but what was on the list.

With one exception (there's always an exception, right?) - I bought yogurt instead of apples. I had apples on the list, but they didn't look very good, so I skipped on them. And then when I went down the dairy aisle, some yogurt sounded good, so I justified it by saying I had skipped the apples. Does that count? Is that cheating? Technically, it wasn't on the list...

I haven't paid for a meal out since the beginning of the month. I've been out, but I used gift cards that I was still hoarding from Christmas. I do intend to break this tomorrow, but it is for a friend who desperately needs some companionship right now, so we're having lunch together. It probably isn't a "need" for me, but it is for her, and so I called and invited her to join me.

I even made a trip to mom and dad's house last weekend, went to the stadium and brought along my own drinks so as to avoid paying for them there!

I have also decided that birthday gifts, mom's day, etc., do not count as "wants." Since the items are for gifts, I have decided that anything in this category that arises this month, as long as it is spent reasonably, I will not consider it breaking my commitment. For example, I bought a "Thinking of You" card for my aunt the other day. Could it have waited until June? Yes. Do I think she could use it now? Yep. So I spent the 94 cents and the stamp and mailed it off to Georgia.

My yoga tuition is due next week. THAT is a need! As an aside, speaking of yoga, I'm telling you, I have no fear of the swimsuit season this year! It's been so so so good for my body. If you're not doing Vinyasa yoga yet, find a class now and get in shape for the summer!