A different kind of diet

Since I've been sick and didn't do much this weekend, this post will take the place of the normal weekend wrap up.  No one needs the details of my phlegmy weekend.   

Over the last two months I have made a conscious effort to invest in colors and styles I wouldn't have worn before.  I picked up colored denim, bright cardigans, bold accessories, fun shoes, and lots of stripes to help me break out of the jeans and a t-shirt rut I've been in for the last...10 years.  While I'm happy that I've embraced color and am taking more risks, I'm starting to wonder if it's really been worth the money.

I have students loans hanging over my head, my husband and I are both going to need new cars soon, and we're planning to start a family in the near future so I'm starting to feel guilty about my spending.  Even though I've already reduced the amount I'm spending during an average week, I still resort to shopping online when I'm bored and I'm still buying things here and there that I'm not sure I'll ever get use out of.  After adding up what I've spent the last two months, I realized there are better things I could have been doing with that money.  Things that would benefit my family and not just my closet.

I've given it a lot of thought and I have decided to put myself on a spending diet.  I've recently be using the Livestrong calorie tracker app on my phone to keep track of my daily calorie intake and I think I can apply the same principle to my spending.  Just as cutting sugar or carbs out of my diet completely was unrealistic, I think that trying to cut shopping out completely is unrealistic.  At least not for me.

I recently saw a diet quote somewhere that said, "If hunger is not the problem, eating is not the solution."  As true as this is for dieting, it is also true for spending.  I shop because I'm bored.  I shop because I'm lonely.  I shop to gain the approval of others.  I shop to fit in.  I do not shop because I actually need something.

I've looked at the average price of the items that I purchase and I've settled on allowing myself to spend $35 per week (Mon-Sun).  That may not sound like a lot, but I can pick up a fun top or a cute dress from Loft, Gap, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, or Nordstrom for that.  If I want to spend more on something, it has to come out of the next week's allowance.  I've purchased a receipt organizer and I've got a spreadsheet ready to go so that I can accurately keep track of what I've bought (instead of just adding up ballpark figures in my head).  I'm also going to post what I've bought along with the prices and a weekly total every Sunday to prove that I've stuck with my spending diet.  

Things like shopping trips to the outlet mall with my sister in law or picking up a dress for a wedding or special occasion will be my diet "cheat days" and won't count, but my $35 for the week will be included in what I spend.  Meaning if I go to the outlet mall and spend $200, I don't get to spend $35 somewhere else that week.  I only go to the outlet malls twice, maybe three times a year and I don't have any special occasions coming up so I don't think that will be too much of an issue.  My goals is to do this for 8 weeks and see how it feels.

So there you have it.  Starting tomorrow, Monday, March 12th I'm officially on a shopping diet.

Is there such a thing as Weight Watchers for over-shoppers?  Sigh, I need a support group.