Rule #2 - New Clothing

O M G

I believe I may be a closet materialistic person.

The urge to shop is killing me knowing that I am about to embark on a challenge that I firmly BELIEVE IN but do not necessarily follow.

I'm thinking of adding rule #2:

2. No buying of NEW clothes, except necessary undergarments. All clothing needs to be fulfilled at garage sales/thrift stores.

I say this because as Hubby and I were getting ready to go out for a nice dinner on our 21st anniversary, I was complaining that I had no nice clothes that fit.

That really should have equated to two different sentences:

I need to lose some weight.
and
I need to be more creative with what I have.

I have a pretty full closet. Yes, I've been tossing things aside in the goodwill/garage sale 'pile' for a few months now. If it's snug, faded, not my taste, etc., I've been ruthless.

However, I'm starting to feel the festiveness of the holidays approaching and want all the new stuff that comes out at this time of the year.

Red fuzzy sweaters.

Black sparkly dresses.

Unpractical shoes, mostly the BOOTS get me going.

I will buy a new pair of boots this year. I've got my flat grey ones from last year but this year I want brown or black. I'd prefer to have BOTH but that's just not right.

So. Rule #2. No NEW clothes.

Getting Prepared

Wow. This could be hard.

I still need to finalize the rules of the road AND discuss with Hubby.

I'm really hoping that we can be on the same page with it, and not just me for my own stuff. Would be so much more effective ...

I've been tracking since the beginning of October everything I do and it's a real eye opener.

I've discovered that I'm an impulsive shopper. Really. What a shock! And honestly, I think i'ts because I KNOW what I'm about to embark on.

A Year of Zero

I am still asking myself just what a Year of Zero is going to be.

We will still shop. I mean, heck, we have no self sustaining, homesteading type stuff in this house. I'm trying to garden but that will not feed us for long (my skills are sorely lacking!)

We will still take a few vacations.

We will still eat out.

We will still buy 'stuff'. The 'stuff' is my number one issue for 2012. Well, that, and trying to set up a serious savings account.

See, in late September, 2011, I was horrified to swipe the debit card and have it DECLINED for a mere $48 purchase. Horrified, I tell you. Because I haven't had that happen to me in over 15 years.

And it all started with my generosity and goodwill towards the Boy going to college. Paid for his first semester of school on a CREDIT CARD. Paid for his first month rent from my checking account. Paid for all this other miscellaneous 'stuff' that he needed for school on credit card and checking account.

What it boiled down to was very little money left in the checking account (which automatically pulled from savings when needed) AND the fact that I am now making about $400 in credit card payments a month just to get the balances down. OMG.

Which is what brought us here, to 2012, The Year of Zero.

Zero Waste.

Zero Junk.

Think twice, three, four times before purchasing.

The good news? I am opting out of the debit/visa/mastercard thing. I will NOT be paying that $5 a month for the privilege to use my debit card like a credit card. This will definitely put me back in my place, as I think a lot of others will be following and doing the same.

Which means, Rule Number One (as it always should be) CASH IS KING.

That's right.

I've done CASH ONLY before and did pretty darn good with it. But fell off the wagon. And then the stupid Amazon thing was offered which I nabbed (should have been a little smarter).

So check back for updates, or better yet, follow me (over on the right) to be notified of the updates when they come along.

Check back for updates OR better yet, click over to the right to sign up to follow!