Day 16

Aside from my youngest making odd comments about alcohol and my oldest wanting to go to sleep-away camp, here's the latest on my No Spending Challenge.

Just today, here are the opportunities I've had to spend:

• T-shirt sale at the kids' school.
• Book fair at the kids' school.
• Forgot to eat breakfast and passed a Panera Bread and almost lost my marbles.
• Looking for clearance/sale items to use as stocking stuffers and holiday gifts.
• The car is filthy after our last snow storm, but no car wash for me. (And we've stored our hoses away for winter so I can't do it myself.)
• The inside of the car is filthy (why do Labs shed so much???) and I can't scrounge around for quarters to pay for the car wash vacuums.
• Jayme's suggestion of this, which is pricey but I'd wear it forever and ever and can't imagine a better necklace.
• A much-needed haircut.
• Last chance to see Harry Potter at the dollar theater.
• New pencils that Lily's teacher asked the parents to bring to school because they've already run low.

That last one makes me feel like a heel. But I promised myself I would buy a truckload of pencils come Dec. 1st. But even though I had all those chances to buy, I don't miss anything. Not one bit. The car can stay dirty. Who cares about my hair. The kids already have 50 t-shirts, and I'll ask David to get me the necklace for Christmas. I am astounded at how in control and on top of life I feel these days. I feel like I've taken charge of something (my own consumerism) and whipped it into submission. It's very freeing. And the money we're saving... oiy!