A Different Kind of Diet

I might have a slight problem with my love of shopping...

It isn't exactly an urge to buy one particular thing. It is all of the things! When I lived in Waco, I satisfied the urge by spending Saturday mornings at thrift stores and antique shops, only allowing myself to purchase small things or things I needed that happened to be really great deals. This is how I ended up with five mis-matched chairs in my apartment, too many tables, more lamps than I could count, and some failed DIY projects. I needed those things to distract from the outdated wood paneling! You know, for all of those dinner parties I was throwing during law school.

It has been a different struggle as I graduated and moved to Austin. I did a big purge of the excess and mis-matched back in May and again in August, then the Boy and I combined all of our furniture into one apartment. Talk about a casual shopper's dream project to fit it all together and purchase the accessories that we never had time or money for before! If only I had an unlimited dream budget.

I have managed to stay in the black due to graduation gifts and saving over the last year, but now it is really time to buckle down. I'm searching for jobs (and have been somewhat successful, but that's for another post), but until that first real, grown-up paycheck comes, I need to go on a spending diet. YES! I SAID SPENDING DIET! (I need to go on another kind of diet too, but again a later post on that one).

I'm not quite as bad as Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic Series (loved those books), but I think I should get it under control before I get there. I'm not expert, but here goes...

MY PERSONAL SHOPPING DIET:

1. No trips to the mall!
2. No Julep Maven box for at least 2 months.
3. Cut back on eating out.
4. After my Pure Barre pass expires, ONLY workout at home or for FREE in the great outdoors or gym at my apartment.
5. No new clothes, jewelry, accessories, or shoes until I secure full-time employment.
6. No spontaneous trips to the grocery store - shopping list only.
7. Work more, play less.
8. No going out for drinks (except to celebrate a trial victory or bar results) until I secure full-time employment.
9. BLOG about things that I want to buy and give our followers the insider details on sales that I get emailed about instead of shopping them myself.

See what I did there? I'm really thinking about you and all of the deals that will be passed your way.

I promise more photos and less talk next time.

Amber