My budget is always tight. However, I knew as we headed into 2011 that the months of January and February were going to be extra lean on the green.

As I determined my monthly budget, I quickly realized I had money for my bills, gas, groceries, and a few required purchases like Bella’s birthday present. I knew that I was really going to have to watch my spending which equals no impromptu purchases of the cute hat at Target or a new lip gloss at the drugstore.

At this moment, a saying I had read in a magazine and heard on NPR flashed in my mind: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” The next image that popped into my mind was all the stuff I have in my closets and in the containers in my bathrooms. Putting the two images together = I had no need to shop at the store; I could spend the two months using up, wearing out, or making do with what I had already purchased.

At the end of February….I made it through the months pretty much on budget with no impulse buys at the stores. I also realized how much stuff I have packed away in my closet. Perfectly good stuff that I could use and wear. I have also realized that I might have a small obsession with buying toiletries. (It might be 2020 before I use up my stockpile of lotions.) On this payday, I resolve to continue my battle against the stuff I have purchased. I will continue to use things up and wear them out until the overabundance and clutter  in my closets is under control!

Mindfully,

Martha