On To October

You guys. It is freaking October. OCTOBER. Like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas then BOOM 2018 is OVER. Just like that. I thought time only flies when you’re having fun!?! Apparently it also flies when you’re stressed, over eating,  and having panic attacks.

Alrighty, if the calendar insists, we will move along with October. As usual, new month = new challenge. BUT before we talk about October’s challenge, we have to recap No Spend September. How did you do? Honestly, I give myself a C+. JHub would probably give me a total F. You guys I stayed away from Zulily, I only ordered absolute essentials from Amazon, I walked through Target and didn’t buy a thing that wasn’t household or food related. I did my toes and eyebrows myself (which is obvious when you see them). I really did make an honest effort to abide by NSS. I did end up breaking the rules a little BUT I can justify my purchases….

1. New glasses- Honestly, this expense was a needed one. My child and dog conspired together to ruin my only pair of glasses and once I take out my contacts for the night, I can’t see the TV from our bed….Obviously I NEEDED the glasses. To be fair, I did order them from Zenni and bought a cheap pair with no extra special lenses so…..whatever.
2. New Jeans- Listen….this one was an emergency. It was like a Tuesday or Wednesday and I slid on my Banana Republic size 4 jeggings thinking “See Leah, you don’t need to diet after all, your size 4s still fit like a glove.” Then I got to work and sat down at my desk….You guys I don’t know what happened but 5 seconds later I realized I couldn’t breathe and I felt like a can of biscuits exploded in my pants. MY JEANS WERE SO DAMN TIGHT. It was an emergency! I took an early lunch and met the lady at Nordstrom Rack promptly at 10am when she was opening the doors. I grabbed a few pair of jeans and bought the cheapest pair that fit. I don’t even feel bad about this purchase. You try sitting for 7 hours in skin tight, waist choking, denim.
3. Weight Watchers- After my busted can of biscuits embarrassment, I decided it was time to get back to dieting. I signed back up for Weight Watchers because I know it works for me. HOWEVER, I justify this one because I bought the plan that gives you the first month free thus not spending anything in the month of September….so really does this one even count?
4. A  Poncho- Again, semi emergency because I was totally unprepared. We were at a women’s conference and on day 2 I realized my short sleeves were not going to keep warm during the conference. I wandered into the conference boutique and landed on a sweatshirt that was $45. I really liked the sweatshirt but NSS guilt was eating at me. As I was nearing the checkout, I came across this super cute fringe poncho that I knew I would wear time and time again. Before checking the tag I told myself “Leah, whichever is cheaper, that is the one you are getting.” and boom I ended up with a fringe poncho. I needed warmth and I will wear the poncho again so is that really frivolous?
5. #5….Oh number five…this is where my B+ starts slipping to D+…..Momma bought a new car. There I said it. I bought a new car during No Spend September. Did I NEED a new car? In my mind, yes but in reality, no. BUT to be fair, the maintenance on my new explorer is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than the ol Benz AND my insurance went down so really I saved money with this purchase. So really I did the opposite of spend…I saved….kinda… Whatever.
6. Floor Mats-Again, essential…We have a child who sees the word messy as a challenge. He is fully capable of destroying the car’s interior in a week. The overpriced rubber floor mats were a must. No two ways about it. One would say “Well just don’t have food and drinks in the car and you wouldn’t need to worry about spills and messes” and to that I say “Uh, I am driving the Hot Mess Momma mobile…we eatin’ and drinkin’ up in here.” So…Whatever.
7. Shoes & Rain Coat For Q- JHub and I snuck away for a quick adults only weekend. While we were at the beach, the other mommas and myself went to the Outlet Mall to go walking for exercise. While there, we stumbled upon a UA outlet. I got Q a pair of tennis shoes for $25 and a rain jacket for $18. The tennis shoes were probably frivolous but they were a good deal. The rain jacket was my souvenir for him as he has been asking for a new rain jacket for a while now.
8. ColorStreet Nails– I bought these late last night…it was a bulk order and I SAVED money by not paying shipping. Plus I need some ASAP because all I have left in my stash are winter colors and since it is only Fall, I had to go ahead and place my order…right? RIGHT!

So there you have it. My successful No Spend September! 🙂 So I confessed my NSS. How was yours? What grade would you give me? What grade do you give yourself?

Onto October… OUT THE DOOR OCTOBER (Can you tell I LOVE alliterations) Similar to Spring Cleaning but Fall Cleaning. During the month of October, I challenge you to get the clutter OUT THE DOOR. Get rid of it. Its doing nothing but adding to the chaos. If the clothes don’t fit, PoshMark them. If the toys aren’t played with, donate them. If the Tupperware doesn’t have a lid, send it to the dump! If the papers are dated 2012, shred them. You get the idea. Get the sh*t OUT THE DOOR! You in?