I ate oatmeal for breakfast for 20 plus years. Every. Single. Morning. Now I can't stand the stuff and am looking for a decent replacment. Haven't found one yet :-(

I'm swiping your idea of "no buying extras till april". Hope you don't mind. ummm... do home improvment things count? Or just the have to fix leaky faucet things?

Good job! If you're house shopping which I think you said you were, buy one next to the library. My new one is and they have magazines and books and DVDs and it's all FREE FREE FREE. I'm there twice a week.

Denise -- anything that breaks gets fixed, of course, but I'm not buying any "home improvement" stuff that isn't needed for absolute fixing... like I bought new furnace filters for my heat/AC unit. That's just necessary upkeep. But I'm not buying those things I see at Home Depot just because I *want* them. Make sense?

Annabelle -- I agree, the library is a fabulous resource! Free!

you might like this site, if you are interested, and this is not spam!!! I promise!!
http://www.flylady.net/index.asp
you are doing a great job, and maybe next year I will make that one of mine. maybe...
oh but I will miss Walgreens...

Can we make this a group effort...let's all try to take the 3 month challenge! And please do share your didn't-buy-stuff stories, they are very inspirational and will keep us all motivated. Have a great day...

But if you are The Crazy Knitter, isn't yarn really an essential???

Nancy... it IS essential! That is why I pre-shopped ;) LOL But if you could see my yarn stash, well. You would understand why I do not need to be shopping!

Perfect sense.
Of course that means I'd better stay out of Home Depot and Lowes and Sherwood Building Center and The Rebuilding Center and....
:-D

Hi Laurie,

I started keeping a budget last year and recorded everything I purchased under categories (e.g., gas, eating out for lunch, clothes, crafts, etc.) and I found that I wasn't buying stuff I didn't need. I also gave myself a cushion for buying misc items, like coffee at Starbucks (now I buy a gift cards for myself--they're easier to record than daily $3.71 purchases). I was able to pay off $15,000 in debt last year...debt that I had run up simply by buying stuff I didn't need and paying for an apartment that was too expensive.

It's incredibly liberating to pay off debt, and realize that you're not really suffering without anything. Also, I live in a small place and not having anywhere to put stuff is a good deterrent to buying.

Good luck! I'm SURE you can make it to April! Also, if you haven't already, make a spreadsheet of all of your debt and update it periodically so you can see how much you're paying off...seeing that debt get wittled down feels great!

If you're weird then so am I. Every morning, I eat oatmeal and drink coffee. I make oatmeal with a sprinkle of flax seed meal, topped with maple syrup and brown sugar (exactly the same amounts of it all, every day). My coffee is drunk out of the same giant plastic cup I got in college - you know, with all the local cafe and pizza place logos all over it - and the only change I've made is to put less and less sugar in over time. For what it's worth, I totally don't think it's weird to eat Cheerios every morning. So eat on! :)

Laurie - what a great goal! I'm trying to manage my year-long goals in 3 month increments, and so far it's much less scary. Great job!

On a side note - isn't it amazing how much magazines cost? Thank goodness for the internet and people.com!

ooooh noooo...someone already said the word - the 'B' word (budget). That is my total downfall in life. I admire this resolve to not spend crazy money...I must focus here next.

However, on the food front I can report that eating the same thing for breakfast and often for lunch has not killed me (but dinner almost always must be interesting and fun). It does take a lot of the stress out of making sure I am doing okay on my diet intake. Turns out that eating well goes a long way to not just weight loss but other stupid things like your health!

I am rooting for you Laurie to be successful!

But yarn comes under the heading of essential supplies, surely (I'm ignoring that thing you said about your stash)
I signed up for a four month term at Wardrobe Refashion last year - and went way past that. With the exception of when I was stuck in Spain for a week with no clothes after the airline lost my luggage, I havent' bought any clothes at all. My wardrobe isn't full of cheap crap, I've learned to use my sewing machine, and I'm about to start knitting garments (rather than scarves, I'm moving on a little) - and it's great!

those scrubby bubble shower thingies suck serious eggs. my crazy roommate insisted on keeping it even though it multiplied the soap scum a bazillion-fold, or some other grossly enormous amount. rather than waste $40 bucks on the gadgetry and the refills galore, invest the $3 on a brush, some ajax and elbow grease. save yourself the trouble ;D

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that buys stuff on autopilot. I decided to take the same approach after buying all of the Christmas presents and getting pissed that I was buying stuff for people that they don't need...

there's nothing wrong with your eating habits. i get the same way. i've just had to learn to tell the husband when that happens, so he stops buying whatever it is that i'm no longer eating. and i think i'm going to steal your idea, too. it'll be interesting to see how much i *don't* spend!

That's a really good idea! I am usually pretty stingy and won't buy anything that I don't "need." I am going to try keeping a list of things that I want to buy though. It will be interesting to see if I still want to buy things after a few months.

Also, I didn't realize eating the same thing for breakfast every day is weird. I guess I'm weirder than I thought.

That's my plan for this year as well. I have muesli for breakfast every morning and I even have gone so far to make my own--it's so easy. Now I eat almond butter & jelly for lunch, plus a granola bar and an apple.

I know the feeling! My problem isn't magazines, it's just that I'm tempted by the food itself, I'll buy heaps of greens and they'll go bad in the fridge because one woman can only eat so much kale. Or I'm tempted by the salsa on sale--I have 3 jars of salsa in my fridge. This Sunday I made a list for the grocery store and stuck to it--it was so hard!

I like this idea! My two biggest vices are yarn and nonessential food, meaning sending or going out instead of actually cooking. I even like to cook, it often just seems like too much work. Of course that goes back to Getting Organized, so that I actually have something in the house to cook, preferably something cheap(ish) and easy. My inability to Get Organized may well be my chief character flaw. (Please do not start making a list.)

excellent idea and good job! i may have to do a bit of this since I'm SO aching to get out of my cc debt. I'm actually on a Vanilla Almond cereal kick this month.. soooo good!

Thanks for the reminder about buying less stuff. I also need to go through my closet and get rid of other things that I don't need. In addition to paying off debt, it just feels good to live more simply and stop relying on "stuff" to make you feel good!

Healthy, I don't know about, and I'm definitely not normal in most ways... but I've been eating Cheerios every day for breakfast since grade school. (According to the calendar, I'll be turning 31 next month.) Well, there were some days I didn't have Cheerios... but only because I couldn't get any!!! So sad!

I vary my lunch more, but not a lot. I change it every few months or years.

Why do I hear Twilight Zone music every time I read one of your posts???

First on the food....I also go through "food phases" Right now I'm in the Frosted Flakes for breakfast and a bagel with (light) cream cheese for lunch phase. My co-workers make fun of me.

Second, I am doing something very similar with the spending, only I am matching every frivolous dollar spent with a deposit to my savings account. So every time I want to spend $20 on something I don't need, I have to ask myself whether I REALLY want to spend $40! It's working well so far....

I'll be anxious to hear about your house hunting. I will be starting in a few weeks....I want to buy in April. Time for me to stop waiting for Mr. Wonderful to come along and sweep me off to his castle. Single girls buying their own houses rock!

I started the new year with something similar: No new lotion/body products, perfume, books, tea, or yarn until I use/read/drink what I already have. It's been pretty eye-opening so far. I have a *ton* of great books that I haven't gotten around to yet, and enough beauty products for an army (and they'll just go bad if I don't use them). And all of the mony I'm not spending! it's amazing!

As for the food thing, I have oatmeal for breakfast every day in the winter, and yogurt every day in the summer. I have a granola bar for my 10am snack every day (though I don't always eat the same kind of bar), and lunch is always either leftovers from the night before or canned soup. Where are these mythical people who eat a different thing for breakfast every day? I don't know anybody who does that.

I made it five days without buying any yarn. And then the parking spot right in front was open....and I wanna make the Lady Detective Hat.... and I need to support my LYS..... urf. Compared to going online & buying 2 sk of Iro PLUS who knows what else, I feel I showed a modicum of restraint. Sigh. I hope I can use my stash more this year, instead of growing it exponentially! Good luck to you!

Had cute (and on sale!) shoes in the online shopping cart yesterday, but didn't do the final click to buy them. Still battling with ongoing divorce from superjerk and all the insanely huge legal expenses and don't NEED more shoes. But cute on-sale shoes are like comfort. I really need to make the decluttering process my comfort, but it is much harder and less fun than clicking for cute shoes...

Please do post about the "deny thyself unnecessary items" philosophy - it helps.

Maybe not buying non-essential crap is the kick in the ass that I need. I resolved this year to track all of my purchases, so I can see things like what I did yesterday:

$20 for eating out, 11.70 for groceries, 3.39 at the convenience store, and 18.76 for yarn.

Ugh- that's utterly embarassing, because I did all of that without thinking and the $35 worth of food's nearly gone. I am allowing myself to buy yarn, though, as long as I use it rather than stockpile it. My guess is that even getting pricey yarn makes for cheaper entertainment per hour than just about anything else.

Oh! I'm not house hunting. I will be moving this year, but I just want to move somewhere different and rent again for a while.

I haven't decided where I want to land long-term, and still have some financial things to figure out first. I'm also not emotionally ready to be married to a home yet. I know that sounds wonky. But it's a thing with me right now. I'm just trying to figure some stuff out!

Plus, buying a home in Southern California is more than I can take on right now. The house next door to mine sold (finally) ... 1000 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath ... for $568,000. Over half a million dollars for two bedrooms and one bathroom! That is insane. Some friends bought a condo in North Hollywood for a little under $600,000. I'm nowhere close to a committment like that right now.

But one day. Maybe next year ;)

Hi Laurie!

I've been a faithful reader for a long time now. Because of you, I have been inspired to make resolutions this year (which I never do). I am also stealing your 3 month non-essential spending idea. I have a question for you or your readers: is going out with friends essential or non-essential?
Thanks!

I think this 3-month essentials-only is a great exercise. I should really be doing it, too. And around here, we usually eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch. Very little deviation from the norm. It's enough challenge figuring out what's for dinner without having to worry about bfast & lunch! : )

I just read this book. Definitely worth borrowing from the library for inspiration.

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Buying-Year-Without-Shopping/dp/0743269357/sr=8-1/qid=1168275015/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2207275-9509644?ie=UTF8&s=books

Meghan, I don't go out a lot, so I think an occassional going-out-night (or movies, or whatever) is perfectly fine! But for folks whose main problem is spending on going out, I guess they have a different issue.

Do not take advice on "going out" from a hermit LOL.

Aunt P, another thing to do: Don't go anywhere without first having a list of what you intend to buy. And, for the grocery store, list out your meals, plan them through for at least a few days, and don't veer off the list. Stay focused on the list while at the store and if you see something you want, say to yourself you will add it to the next list and see if you still want it.

Don't go into any store without first knowing what you want/need.

This has helped me tremendously to not impulse buy.

Good luck! I am rooting for you, you can do it!

Finance Girl... your website has been a big inspiration for me!

I am *thisclose* to getting out of debt, I hope. I have my fingers crossed that nothing major breaks, or the cats get sick, my mantra is "please just everything hold it together for six months, please, please..." LOL

I hate being in debt more than anything else. It's like the last remaining hangover of my marriage. I just want to be done with it, with him, with the fees and all of it. That debt is a daily reminder of our marriage and divorce and I want it out of my life.

The day I pay off that bill, I promise you I plan to drink an entire bottle of champagne on my own. It's not a lofty goal, I know, but the idea of me alone with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot keeps me focused ;)

Wine's essential right?

Good luck, that sounds like a do-able goal with a great reward.

Oh yeah....I've heard about how much houses cost out there in California....

You should move back here to Tennessee. I think I'm going to get approved for $130,000 and, if what I've seen online is any indication, I will probably end up with 1,000+ square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.

And, so hard not to buy yarn! Especially when the SNB desk calendar does favorite yarns on Mondays (today it's angora....and it looks so soft!)

Laurie,
Keep it up. You will save so much money this way. And have less useless junk.

Yeah, Laurie! I've been doing the "do I need it or just want it?" question for 18 months now and it does help with the cash outflow. I've stolen your "list of things to buy" idea and am recommiting to your CAP budget spreadsheet - especially to track all the money I owe to the cc companies. Gotta get those seriously reduced this year!

Please continue to keep us up dated on your 3 month only necessities program - it helps keep my motivation up. Thanks!

Okay the whole eating cheerios every single day is fine. lol In fact the baby and I eat cheerios everyday at some point in the day. We do how ever rotate our cheerios around between the plain normal kind, the NEW!!! Fruity ones and of course good 'ol Honey nut.
I'm also in a rut too don't feel bad. My hubby has to go through the weekends and usually friday nights eating left overs from the week. I made a roast last week and seasoned it with Crushed Pepercorn and Garlic Rub from the Pampereed Chef plus a tablespoon of flour, since it was in an oven bag. OMG it was good. So the next day I made meat pies with the left over roast and cut up a tiny potato. Then I stuff it all into cressant rolls to make little hot pocket like things and bake them.

See I just gave you 2 days of dinner ideas now aren't I helpful?

Your plan sounds GREAT. I love it. I don't think I would go as far as no windbreaker or coffee cup. But your more moderate "no scrubbing bubbles dispenser" is the perfect enterpretation of the program. Keep up the good work! And tell us how it is. Inspiring.

Dr. Oz is on Oprah today! Talking about *embarassing* things.

In case you have Tivo.

Hmmmm.... what would a debt-free Laurie do with herself????

MAYBE BUY A CAR WITH AIR CONDITIONING!

Congrats on making it a week without losing your mind. My husband got laid off at the beginning of June last year so I immediately went into no spending $$ mode. I never realized how attached I was to Target. Seriously, I went through withdrawl. But then I saw my Discover card bill and went "whoa". It was HALF what it usually is, and we use it for gas, groceries, everything. HALF! Of course, now he's back to work and I'm back to happily indulging myself at the 50% clearance racks, but I at least proved I could go without non-essential shopping.

And while you are at this, STAY AWAY FROM ANY AND ALL SUPER WAL-MARTS. They are DANGEROUS, especially for someone trying to avoid non-essential shopping. I went to the one that recently opened in our area. DANGER! DANGER! Stuff will hop into your cart like grasshoppers. And you can definitely buy fuzzy slippers with your milk in Super Wally World.

More power to you, Laurie! Only 12 weeks to go!
;-)

Omg, that is so funny, I almost bought one of those shower cleaners, too! Because, hello! Why should I ever have to clean my shower if one of those machines could do it for me?? The urge is not passing...

I'm the same with eating the same item for months at a time. Borderline OCD when it comes to breakfast food. In college, I once made blueberry pancakes with whipped cream for almost every meal for a few weeks in a row. However, this was college and I may have been drunk ;).

About 11 or 12 years ago, I just stopped going to the mall. Cold Turkey.

No mall-walking with the stroller (at the time) or cabin fever relief via Mall of America.

Now, going to one of those meccas of over-consumption actually makes me kind of woogly.

Still manage to bring home plenty off junk that I don't actually need (as I sit here looking at two really cute candles I got at Target for 70% off.) Maybe I'll add this idea to my list this winter.

Way to inspire us to remember we are not just consumers!

Quaker Oatmeal every morning for breakfast. Top that for boring, Auntie! Part of the whole eat less and get a smaller ass movement.

CAP...you are very cool. inspirational too.

There is a big difference between what we need and what we want. Even more importantly, buying crap will not make you happy. Being out of debt is one thing that will contribute to well-being.

Very sad, but in our society is we hare defined by our consumption, not our contributions as citizens. I think we need more good people and fewer good shoppers.

I guess I should be happy I have a five year yarn stash, although i did get a call from a LYS...January sale up to 70% off!!!

Breakfast, almost everyday...a banana, an orange, whole wheat toast with PB, coffee. Maybe oatmeal on Saturdays.

Cheers,
jake

I had to cut out buying anything that wasn't really needed when my husband was out of work for 15 months. It does save a lot of money but I'm not sure I could do it reliably without an urgent need. What I do to cut down is wait three days after I've seen something I want but don't need. After three days, if it's not constantly on my mind, I don't buy it. If I haven't been able to forget about it, I must really want it and I go ahead and buy it. It's amazing how often it was a temporary madness and out of sight is out of mind.

Before selling your house and renting instead of buying again, check out how badly the capital gains tax (or whatever it's called) will hit you. Better to be informed than to be taken by surprise.

I eat the same things all the time: Luna Bars for breakfasts, Cheerios with Raisins and Milk for snacks, yogurt and fruit for lunch! Go BORING! :)

its tough to break spending habits. when you need a pick me up, watch that snl skit "don't buy stuff you cannot afford"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMudzRcPxLc

OK, so now I'm realizing what a weenie I am being by enforcing a $100/month frivolous spending limit when I should be doing the STOP BUYING CRAP total enforcement, CAP style. My problem is eating out - I can't justify it as essential, because even if it is just rice and canned beans that I have at my house, I could eat that instead of eating out and I would live. I would probably live better than eating that burger and fries at the nice restaurant, too! BUT, I LOVE TO EAT OUT and hate eating at home! It seems very essential, $100/month essential, to me to eat what someone else has prepared and brought to my table. I'm a spoiled brat and I never even knew it! Go figure!

Maybe I'll shoot for $50 in February, and then do the total freeze in March... sneak up on it!?!?

Laurie, I am also a hermit, what with the social awkwardness and all.

Stephanie, I really like your idea of putting away the same amount of money you spend on frivolous items. Of course, if I try that I won't be able to spend ANY money because I never have twice the amount of what I want to buy. I have issues...

Delurking to say 2 things.

One: I eat the same thing every day too! It makes life so much simpler.

And two: I love your 3-month-Stop-Buying-Crap commitment. I'm going to adopt it. We so need to cut down on spending around here. Looking forward to your updates! :-)

As a hypoglycemic, my food choices get slimmer every day. I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day because it's easier for me and keeps my insulin levels down. I had to give up sugar (YES!! ALL SUGAR!!!) about a year ago so when I find a meal I can stand I stay with it. Boring, perhaps but easier.

I, too am a magazine addict!!! Why, oh why do they put US magazine and the Star and the Enquirer by the check out stand????? Reading material and yarn are my two biggest addictions.

You're doing great, Laurie!!! I'm on the shopping diet as well. So are my kids, only they haven't found out yet!

So you probably don't want to hear all about how I just bought a ton of new shoes from Zappos, huh...

Freecycle is great!! I found a free treadmill on there last year. The people are so nice and besides saving money it keeps a ton of stuff out the landfills. You should take a look!

I've been able to cut out the non-essential stuff at the grocery by shopping exclusively online. Safeway.com, which I think is Vons down where you are, allows you to place an order online and they will deliver it directly to your home at a time of your choosing. The first delivery is free and then postcards start coming that offer up free delivery. I can't remember the last time we paid ($4.95) for delivery.

What is has done it stop the magazines, cookies, shower cleaners, and what-not from coming into our home. Also, I don't buy stuff just because it is on sale now. I have a list of stuff we buy every week - milk, salad ingredients, fruit, bread, water, and then I just add the ingredients I need for suppers that week. I try to make three fresh meals out of six and we do leftovers or frozen ravolis or something for the other three. We've saved enough that we were able to budget a supper date every Friday night. Or more yarn. Whatever.

Added benefit? No crap in the house means less crap on my hips.

i eat cheerios every morning, and have for probably 20 of my 26 years.

i love them.

i love them so much, i save my proofs of purchase in the hopes that general mills will buy me a giant yellow cheerios house.

I made a resolution to not buy yarn for all of 2007! I realized that I have a ton of really cool stuff already and I just need to resist the temptation to add more projects to my To Do list. I'm thinking of it as a "stash buster" resolution instead of a "no purchase" - it makes it easier for me to deal with.

I'm also canceling all but one of my magazine subscriptions and using my airline miles to purchase subscriptions. I think it was Delta or US Air that sent me the mailer and I was able to get 4 or 5 good magazines for a year without paying a dime. I never flew with them but they gave me miles just for signing up initially. It's worth looking into.

You are to be commended on following through on such a great resolution. I like that you have set the time limit of three months. It's true that you can do just about anything for three months. You can always re-evaluate at that time and make any changes you may need.

For some reason, I was thinking I was the only one that ate Cheerios for breakfast every day (well, the only single childless person), but reading through your comments, I see that we're not alone! I love it!

Sometimes I eat them for dinner too...

I like your idea - I'm going to try and do it too. Although, I spend a lot of money on going out or eating out, so I'm going to have to work on which going/eating out is essential or non-essential.

You rock, Laurie!

I completley and totally know what you mean. I spend money on autopilot all the time (and more often than not on ridiculous items). My friend and I are going to report to one another every cent we spend for a week to see where we're losing copious amounts of moolah.

This is such a great idea, and I totally want to do it, except that I really don't want to do it.

Know what I mean?

For the last 6 years I've eaten a banana, rice cake w/peanut butter for breakfast and soup for lunch almost everyday. Nothing wrong with repetition, makes my life much simpler!

I did the same as Becky a few years ago - stopped going to the mall cold turkey. At that time I lived 2 minutes by car from my favorite mall and went nearly every weekend to shop whether I needed to or not. How liberating it was to just quit! I had two extra hours on the weekend plus the money I saved!

And like Amy, I love to eat out, too. I love to have food prepared for me and brought to my table, heh. We eat out twice a month during the year and then we also go out on a couple of anniversaries. But I SO welcome the bi-monthly outings because I get burned out having to cook every night. And I wish I could eat the same things everyday. It would be so much easier but I get bored with my food pretty easily.

Laurie, I was looking to get a new food processor but here's the thing: I already have a perfectly good one. I don't use it much but it doesn't quite hold my favorite recipe of hot sauce so I figured I'd buy me a new, larger one. Is that some consumer madness right there, or what?!? I don't NEED a new one! Make the stuff in TWO batches! Anything excuse to buy a new toy, huh?

Thanks for the inspiration and yes, please post updates!

Eating honey-nut cheerios every morning out here in KC. Nothing wrong with that! I've forced myself not to buy any fitness magazines. (not that I'm fit, I just keep BUYING them and often reading while eating oreos). They're all the SAME month after month after $4.95 month. Good luck with the 3 month mark. Probably just forcing yourself to WATCH what you're doing when shopping will be a good habit to be in. Good for you!

You just gave me a wonderful idea (yay) and another resolution on my list (ugh). But this wonderful idea will help me pay off my debt, so it's a two-in-oner on my list. You're doing much better than I probably would. My brain works on autopilot probably more than I know.

I was thinking of you this weekend on my trip to the grocery store. This is my Zero trans fat recipe for Psychomom's Guacamole, enjoy!

Two large ripe avocados
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons salsa (or you can add fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapenos)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bag tortilla chips

Cut up avocados and mash with lemon juice.
Add salsa, salt and garlic and mix well.
Eat with tortilla chip

This amount served 1 psychomom and 1 teenage boy for a nice afternoon snack!

I have been on a Luna bar for breakfast, Cheerios with skim milk for lunch routine for months. It's easy, I don't have to think about what I'm eating, I know how many points I'm consuming (I'm doing Weight Watchers) and really, Cheerios. Who doesn't love Cheerios?

I too have a spending issue. I see=I buy. I have very little self control. While I would love to make an effort, I'm aiming for having money in my account at the end of each month. I think that is a good start. I hope anyways. *sigh* I wish I could have the dedication to go all the way!

What a great idea, not buying any non-necessities for 3 months. I think if I did that I'd be rolling in dough... but I also think I wouldn't be able to make it the entire 3 months!

What a great idea, CAP! I'm already doing Wendy's Knit-From-Your-Stash 2007, as I have a surprising amount of yarn (where *did* that all come from?). My only exception is weaving yarn, as I have very little - almost all of the stash is knitting/crocheting yarns and some spinning fiber. But it MUST be for a specific project - no on-the-spot purchases.

My non-yarn downfall is T.J.Maxx, and it's near the grocery store. I really like your idea of writing the items down for later purchase on a list - my biggest problem is not thinking before buying.

I don't know if I can last 3 months, but I'm going to try it for one month, and hope for 3! Please do give us updates, it will help the rest of us keep on track!

Not only did you save $12 by not buying the magazines, but think of all the extra time you'll have to knit, clean, and make lists by not reading them!

Woo hoo!

From Kindergarten to 10th grade, I had either Cheerios or Chex for breakfast and a PB sandwich for lunch. Now I have phases where I eat one or two things for months on end while having oatmeal with mini-choc chips on top or Frosted Mini Wheats with a sliced banana, both with oj, for breakfast every morning. Dinner can also be on the repetitious side, but if I'm liking something, I tend to eat it til I can't anymore and move on to the next obsession. Or I just have cereal again. It's nice not to have to consider others' tastes! Single does have it's advantages!

>The house next door to mine sold (finally) ... 1000 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath ... for $568,000.>

Laurie, come move next to me! The house next to mine is for sale it's 600k and it's an old Victorian (all updated) with over 3000 square feet! (and great neighbors, *wink*!) it's amazing how expensive houses in So Cal are. I thought our market was bad, but I'm glad I'm not house hunting there!

Just last week I resisted the little book thingey that came in the mail that described to me the many ways how getting a subscription to Martha Stewart Living would make my life better. I really, really wanted it, but figured it would still be cheaper if I scouted out the magazine at the book store, and just bought whatever issues I really liked.
I was very proud of myself.

My son is in a private college, and during his freshman year I was astonished to find that I could pay cash out the door for his tuition, and not drastically change our lifestyle. Somehow when the money is directed to a specific thing, it gets paid there, but if it isn't earmarked then it gets spent unconsciously, just because. He's almost finished, so soon those funds will be directed to some sorely needed house rehab...(exciting!!).

I'm in a heavy duty de-clutter mode, and I'm having a garage sale on 27th if you want to join in. There are already several others who are bringing their goodies

I used to have several subscriptions, too, for beauty and fitness mags but I started running out of time trying to get them all read. Add to that the fact that they were pretty much all saying the same thing and I drastically cut back on them, down to one, in fact. Now I don't even buy them on a regular basis anymore. The only magazine I subscribe to is Southern Living.

i only have one magazine subscription (IK). the rest are all hand-me-downs from my sis and my mom. they're a week or 2 late, but they're free!

also: i quit going to target twice a week on my lunch break, and joined the gym. it was $399 for a year, i figure it'll work out even, or maybe better. i have something purposeful to do at lunchtime, and i *might* even lose a pound.

Laurie -- I'm reading the comments and everyone is so inspired or inspirational -- what I have to say will seem trivial by comparison, but:

I love Dr. Mehmet Oz! Please stop thinking how cute and wonderful he is, because someday soon I'm going to make him mine.

That's all.

Dr. Oz was also on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show today, you can listen to him here - http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/07/01/08.php#12637
They talk about the new book, it sounds fascinating. I'm watching Oprah right now (actually it's TIVO'd and it's paused right now while I'm on the computer!)
Good luck on the no purchasing. I've read a few things on simple living, etc, and it's hard. Just today I pretended to yarn shop online, put about $150 of yarn into the cart and shut the window. Trying to get that little rush you get when you buy something....and then I let it go!

Love Dr. Oz! Nowm here is what I want from your life. Just give me the lowdown on the book as I have been considering buying it. It is easy to understand or is there a lot of medical mambo jumbo in it?

Ooh, I am with you on this. So far this year I have talked myself out of buying at least 3 seasons of TV on DVD, and have stopped myself from eating out at least 4 times. Quite the accomplishment.

But I'm going to let myself buy yarn. It's like this: even the Ingalls and the Waltons had yarn, and they were way poorer than me. Yarn cultivates happiness in me. Plus, it gives me something to do and thus prevents me from wanting ot buy other stuff to do.

And I eat Cheerios for breakfast every morning. It's not boring. It's classic.

Laurie,

I just found you last week and now I am a faithful reader! I can blame you for lots of hours of missed sleep in the last week but it was worth it.

Eating the same thing for breakfast: My mom ate oatmeal every morning for many years and as far as I know she still does. You are in good company I think.

Heartache: Whenever you are feeling heartbroken over that goofy Mr. X, listen to "Giving Up" by Donny Hathaway. This is the best post breakup song ever. I have cried many tears while listening to it.

I think lots of people go thru spells of getting into an eating routine. It simplifies the grocery list and I swear it's more time-effective.
Every weeknight before I go to bed, I set out my coffee mug, my tea bag (no, not chamomile!!), my Carnation Instant Breakfast packet, my glass, and my Prozac. I would set out the milk but it would go bad. These are the things I absolutely must have every morning before going out the door and if I had to find each item every morning, I would never make it out of the kitchen. I'm not a morning person!
I've also found that if I pack my lunch every evening, I do much better with staying on my diet. If I try to pack it in the morning, I end up grabbing things randomly...and then when faced with a pickle & cheese sandwich with an apple and ranch dressing on the side(I know, ick), I give up and go to the nearest drive-thru. Where I can't buy a salad, because what if someone sneezed on it before it was packed in its little container? At least with the hamburgers, I can tell myself the heat from the grill kills any germs.
My eating habits are one of the few things I can truly control in my life, so I make the most of it! Yes, I have issues but who doesn't??
:)

A) Oooo, I wanted one of those scrubbing bubble shower thingies too, until I read Jessie's comment. Plus my elderly cat prefers getting her drinks in the shower (I put her water dish there), and I imagine she would be peeved at being spritzed down with the scrubbing bubbles.

B) Trader Joe's yogurt, blueberries and pecans here. Just got off of that jag.

C) MrV ate Honeynut Cheerios every day for years and years. He finally stopped when he found out he was allergic to almonds. He takes the exact same thing in his lunch every day. The only problem with eating routines is if you start buying stuff by the case, then stop eating that item (like, maybe due to allergies) while you still have boxes and boxes of it. Fortunately the Boy Scout food drive can take care of these mistakes.

I'm trying the no essential purchases for a YEAR! I don't know if I can make it, but I have quite a stash of yarn to keep me busy. It's amazing how many times in this one week I have had to stop myself from those automatic purchases.

Good luck!

The Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen book "You On A Diet" is AWESOME. It really makes things seem clear. Like, when he explained why we should build muscle not fat.

I know this fact, right? I have heard it a bazillion times. Yeah yeah build some muscle. But the way they explain it in the book just clicked with me. They said real simply that one pound of muscle burns 40-100 calories, while one pound of fat burns 1 to 3 calories.

It's so simple! I can eat more if I have more muscle. OKAY! LOL

I went through a Cheerios phase a few months ago. Now I alternate between oatmeal and Trader Joes whole wheat english muffins with a little fruit spread. If you want to mix it up with the Cheerios add different kinds of fruit or berries.

I have been trying to cut down on spending too. I spent $200. on clothes this weekend but they were work wardrobe basics and one piece may get returned. I lost 25 pounds last year and was still wearing my fat clothes. My goal this year is to get a new job or a promotion and for that I have to stop wearing the baggy thrift store clothes.

Dr. Oz is on Oprah right now. If you want I'll transfer it to my PC (legally, of course) and send it to you, so you can watch in the morning while you eat your Cheerios.

By the way, buy the Sunday paper every week. There are ALWAYS coupons for Cheerios. If you really want to save money in the supermarket, you need to learn how to clip coupons (but only for the stuff you need). My mother is an expert!

Pick up some Cliff bars for the fiber, they are so wonderful for your mid morning snack. Also check out the fiber content on most of your snacks. If they have a nice amount of fiber, over 2 grams, then buy it.
I know what you mean about paying off the debt, I plan to be debt free in 2 months. Yippee! I can't wait, I too am sick of paying the credit cards.
Good luck with your diet and remember drink plenty of water because your complexion will thank you for it.

Good for you! Not spending sounds as hard as being on a diet.

YIKES! I did a little auto-pilot shopping at the knitting shop last week, and $75 dollars later, I walked out with yarn to knit a pair of socks and two scarves. I had to order the yarn I had intended to purchase when I went there, and that isn't included in last week's total. I'm pretty thrifty most of the time, but for some reason, I just go out of my head when yarn is involved.

Laurie, I'm all for the Cheerioes every day for breakfast! In my books, It's the only cereal that matters.
Nice job so far. Keep it up. We are all cheering for you!

Damn, Laurie, you're psychic or something. First, I bought one of those stupid automatic shower cleaners, and second, I just listed to Dr. Oz on the radio, and third, I decided to get his book at the library to save unnecessary spending.

Be glad you didn't buy the shower cleaner. Whatta waste.

I commend all of your on your resolutions. I too have resolved to not buy anything new for 2007, while also decluttering my home. I have also resolved not to buy any new yarn for 2007 and just knit from my stash. However, if I do have a particular project in mind, I post a wanted ad on freecycle.org, or I browse my local Salvation Army or Goodwill for a sweater I can unravel and use the yarn from. You'd be amazed at how many ugly sweaters can be transformed into a beautiful knitted items. And any unused yarn can be used for gift for your knitting friends. Who does love getting new, but recycled yarn? If any of you interested in reading more about this resolution to buy only essentials and not anything new, there is a yahoo group on Compacting - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/. Good luck with your resolutions!!

Good for you on the budgetting plan, Laurie, but I hate to say it...what if things go on the 'buy later' list and when later comes...they're no longer available! I've had that happen a few times!!

Ummm. I thought you were the list queen. For years, I have made a point of making a shopping list before entering a grocery store. I am not allowed to deviate from the list. Because of this, I can even shop while hungry. OK. I'll admit it. I do put categories on the list like "snacks" and "desserts." But I am only allowed to buy one item from a category on the list so I have to select wisely.

Also, I tend to do lunch on autopilot. Glad to hear that's a good thing.

One of the things I cut out a few years ago was stops at coffee shops. Instead I pack teabags (because I'm a tea drinker) to brew at the office. And can I say that the TJ's chai is mighty tasty? Shocking how many dollars I saved there.

But the biggest saver? For years I have not had a credit card. (Got one recently because I do plan to travel this year and one cannot rent a car without one.) My feeling was that if you can't pay cash for it, then you really don't need it.

Best of luck in ignoring the shopping demons.

Just read Finance Girl's comment. Yep. Always have a plan when shopping. I've been doing it for so many years, it's second nature.

I've had to sit myself and tell myself that I can only "collect" stuff for three different authors, and one web-comic. I'm not allowed any others. I'm a packrat of a selective sort - first edition books, any other literary mentions of the author, reference works regarding those authors ... SUCH a sucker for a really old book. I used to "rescue" old books from library sales, saying "they'll be destroyed if I don't buy them!" SIGH.

Argh, you all!! Now I'm hungr for Cheerios.

I do the exact same thing with the food phases. Right now I'm doing shredded wheat (no frosting :( ) for breakfast and fruit&cheese for lunch. It's boring, but it works -- and it's a big bonus for me because I'm calorie-counting, so 'boring' makes life easier in that department.

Good luck on the shopping diet, and you can be as boring as you want. It's your food! :)

I read that same article, and blogged about it, and thought how neat it would be to be able to do it for a year! Other than breaking down and buying a set of Denise Interchangables on Saturday (I just HAD to, I was returning yarn I'd gotten for Christmas and so I only had to pay for half of it!) I've been doing good. But the thought of doing it for a whole year is intimidating, perhaps I will follow your lead and do it for 3 months. I like the keeping a list idea.

Oh thank GOD I'm not the only one struggling with the infernal budget. You'd think by 36 I might have gotten a handle on this but you know? Not so much.

I'm so grateful to have been directed to your page by one of my blogsters. You are like a good book that you just never want to end (yes, i've stayed up for 3 days reading every blog you've posted!).

I do hope you know what a difference you can make in a persons life..a person that you don't even know. Thank you Laurie and crew!

I've lived under a count-every-penny budget for years, and while it can be done, you wind up resenting it. Instead "repay" yourself by occasionally transferring what you would have spent on something you wanted into yor "fling fund". For example, that Starbucks cup in the morning probably cost you $3.50, right? So go there, look at it, smell it, and don't buy it! Then give yourself a $3.50 credit into your fund. Soon something that you wanted will present itself to you. "Aha!" you say, "Free!". Well, not yet. Wait 2 more weks before you buy it. That's the hard part, but during those 2 weeks, you learn to tell if you wanted to buy it, or really need it. Often, the "gotta have it!" feeling passes, so you can continue to shop for an even better "free" item!

Scary...I eat the same thing for lunch and dinner for weeks at a time, and I was just in Borders and leafed through "You on a Diet."

I'm also using your spreadsheet, and my newfound Excel skills are helping me keep daily tabs on my altered-Zone diet. (Day 8 and I'm still on it - that's gotta be a record for me!)

I think the whole key to staying on a diet is planning ahead. I spent a good part of the weekend putting 49 pistachios (a one-ounce serving) into little plastic baggies so I can have a properly proportioned snack, and making little garlic hamburgers (1/4 pound, lowfat, roasted in the oven so the fat goes away) that I can nuke for a quick supper in 2 minutes flat. It's a pain, but if it's all laid out for you, you stay on course.

I have an assist with the spending thing - I recently got a bunch of gift cards from cat-sitting my neighbor's felines, so when I get the urge to splurge, I can do so - up to the amount on the cards of course.

What an interesting and exciting year this is going to be for us all!

Grits and OJ. I eat grits with butter and salt more often than anything else for breakfast. What I like about grits with butter and salt is that it is 100% pure, wholesome, carbs and fat and salt and it keeps me chugging through any busy morning.

Oatmeal is second. Some weeks I alternate.

If I run out of either I have a bowl of my husband's granola with soymilk.

I could eat tuna salad or turkey sandwished for lunch every day for the rest of my life.

This is good news. Grits and OJ and tuna salad for lunch and then I only have to think about dinner being all balanced and everything.

I totally grab things that I shouldn't buy without realizing it at the grocery store sometimes! It's awful. But now I'll be more aware.

Good luck with your three month plan!

Buying with cash only makes a big difference; it's at least a big step in the no-nonessentials process. Also, if you belong to a public library, you probably have free access online to hundreds of magazines; just ask. You just might not get the pictures that go along with them.

Yesterday I went to WallyWorld to buy my daughter two 1" notebooks. I found them for $.97 each. I was so thrilled that I spent $13.00 on moi.

Starting over today...

Me, I'm not going to worry about the "no shopping on auto pilot" mantra this year because 2007 is the "no eating on auto pilot" year. Hey - but remember to reward yourself. For me, if I can drink my water, eat mini meals with small portions and be gluten free for a month, I get the Treo 700P I'm lusting over. I also liked the idea I just read above about putting some of what you save into a jar for a present for yourself. I just set up a high interest savings account online last fall which I transfer $20 each Friday into, because thats what I save by stopping some of my autopilot eating and buying habits. Its all good.

My husband eats a bowl of oatmeal and an english muffin with peanut butter EVERY DAMN morning. And he gets a salad for lunch...along with one piece of fruit, a yogurt, and a juice box.

I eat Trader Joe's oatmeal cereal with dried cranberries almost every morning, too! If I'm feeling brave (or it's a weekend) I might cook an egg.

There's nothing wrong with autopilot. It's convenient and easy (when you're tired) and it shows you've made some good lifestyle changes when you're not! Keep up the not-spending. It's a hard thing to do. I resolved to not buy any new yarn for the next six months...so that we can step up the saving for both a down payment on our first house and our honeymoon!

De-lurking to tell you how much I enjoy your site, the cats, the knitting, the unfolding "new" life in the wake of your divorce.

Peace to you and the kitties in 2007.

De-lurking to tell you how much I enjoy your site, the cats, the knitting, the unfolding "new" life in the wake of your divorce.

Peace to you and the kitties in 2007.

Girl - I hear you about Auto Pilot! I'd do the same thing when I was bored or wanted to procrastinate! Have you ever seen the whole Oprah Debt Diet thing?

I do auto-pilot everything! Shopping, eating, working. So this year is going to be different. I am going to wake up and live more consciously.

And I loves me some Dr. Oz! He is a total cutie! He has a new book out called "YOU - On a Diet" that is worth a gander.

Go on with your bad self, girl!!!

Hi there, Please tell me you are not buying yarn at Walmart! If this is true I have some in my sale bins I can send you. Great Idea on the list of what you need to buy - I'm going to try that. Is it my imagination or are we all trying to cut back - what is this? Bonny

Laurie you never said which side of the cut wine falls on!

Wine is a DEFINITE necessity :)

L.-As an elder who has often been on "spending freezes" in the past, I recommend them. Check your library to see if they have any "Tightwad Gazette" books by Amy Dacyczyn. Full of outrageously frugal ways to save money, some way too extreme for me, but fun to read and can inspire you to live frugal. Even better are her analyses of how much you can save toward getting to a big goal--a home, a trip, a better lifestyle. I hope you can find them. My second idea for you came to me from your post of the other day re: looking for someone to share your life with. My hero, Leo Buscaglia, wrote a lot of books on love. One of the things he advises single people who are discouraged to do is to volunteer some time to help those less fortunate. (I know you do this some already). This takes you out of yourself, and who knows, you could meet another selfless soul this way! Givers are always more attractive than takers.
sorry so long--you make us care about you!

I ate a peanut butter sandwich every day for lunch my entire school life -- kindergarten through high school, and then extended that into my work years, where I ate it every day at work for lunch, much to the amusement of my coworkers. (But it was so easy -- I'd buy a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and leave them in my locker at work -- lunch was dirt cheap and a no-brainer, meanwhile my coworkers were going out to McDonalds every day and spending $30/week on lunch -- money I just didn't have. They had working spouses, so could afford it, I guess). I don't do the peanut butter routine anymore, though -- only on occasion. I could eat Cheerios every day for breakfast, too. Autopilot meals -- a good thing.

Stay strong girl. I know you can do it. I'm with ya on it all. I'm working on paying off my debt too so I can move along with my life and not feel chained down. You'll appreciate breaking this habit now.

I'm going to do this too! I'm so inspired. I tried to cut my budget by knocking out some monthly expenses like Netflix (woo hoo, ten whole dollars a month), but those non-necessities from Target are more likely the culprit of overspending.

Trader Joe's is wonderful ---- not just the yogurt/granola breakfast combo people have mentioned, but their premade salads are fantastic! Just go on a sunday and pick up 5 salads and you've got your lunches for the week! It's easy to pack a lunch with them and they are decadently tasty. I like the Figs and Feta salad best, myself. Oh, sure, some are a little high calorie for a diet lunch, but I feel full all afternoon, and I can have light soup and crackers for dinner to make up for it.

Good luck with all your resolutions!

I actually have one of those automatic shower cleaners (no, two). It really does work Reallly. Now, pushing its button is part of my showering automatic doings,

i borrow magazines from the library when i need a fix. otherwise i'd never read them b/c they seem wasteful.

Your buy later list is such a great idea! Will have to give it a try. But somehow I manage to make yarn an essential. It's essential to my sanity anyway...
But I will say one thing: the auto shower cleaner, dude, it works. Just something to think about :)

ooooo.. great idea - not buying stuff I don't need (except knitting stuff. I NEED that to live, I swear).

Not a bad idea to try it, since I might not be working a lot this year if this writer's strike happens.

I used to work w/Dr. Roizen.. he knows of what he speaks :)

Interesting. I may have to try some version of this at some point... hmm...