Shall we call it March Mindfulness?
I’m still in. February is a hard month as many of the outdoor gear stores have sales. My H did buy new snowboard clothes and boots but he has been wanting to do that since last year. His boots have a hole in them so I think that qualifies as a need. He also is not a shopper and won’t pay full price. He got a great deal by waiting till February. I need or want a down or down alternative vest as younger D permanently borrowed mine. Without this thread I would have already bought one but I’m putting it off. I just don’t want to miss finding one on sale and paying full price later in the year.
I don’t have a Target or Home goods nearby and I think that saves me money. It has to be a conscious effort to drive to the area where there is good shopping which helps a lot. My D has been trying to cut back on impulse spending and it’s been hard. She is like @abasket where she loves to browse Home Goods. We all know what happens when we just pop in somewhere to look.
The one impulse designer purse I bought from Costco I returned due to bad online reviews and no response by maker. The rest of the month I have been quite mindful, even though we are on a vacation, visiting relatives.
Great job, everyone! Very interesting thread.
I’m in.
I’ve been writing down some things I will need eventually and some things I want eventually on a legal pad. It’s helpful to let this list be the boss of me, just like my grocery list.
I’m much less likely to succumb to impulse buying. And, if I’m in the mood to shop, I can look for some of those things on the list that I’ve already given thought towards.
Good luck everyone!
Thanks so much, @deb922, for initiating this. I purchased nothing other than 2 beauty items for $17 online pretty early in the month. In the last week, the itch surfaced (similar to the person upthread who had a desire to wander around TJMaxx/Homegoods–I love that too) and I played around online but I seemed to have a stronger sense of what I would really use or would make sense to purchase and nothing even tempted me.
We’re also in the middle of cleaning out the house as it’s being painted and I’m painfully aware that EVERYTHING has to be stored. I’m giving away and donating things left and right. So, I have a new appreciation for not wanting to purchase new things.
I’m in for March too. I may lighten up just a bit but, if I could make this mindfulness a permanent habit, that would be a real gift.
February is my birthday month and we get our own gifts, so I did, within the budget. However, overall my spending is down in 2018 so far, which is my plan for the rest of the year as well. I continue to donate and throw away bags of stuff from the basement, too. It feels good.
However, visiting my favorite shops used to get me out of the house and walking more, and that is what I miss-- not so much the buying. I am not much motivated to walk in our neighborhood, which is like a ghost town during the day, especially in cold weather. I liked being out among people and occasionally chatting. I need to start walking somewhere else, I think, once the weather gets warmer-- and a new plan for where to go walking in winter.
Don’t we all so this as parents of college kids? I am on an 8 year freeze until my kids graduate.
@MassDaD68, sadly or not, many of us have stuck around here after the kids graduated from college.
When my kids were in college, I wasn’t spending at all. As my H said, he wanted both us and the kids to think like we were poor in college. Definitely not much extra spending. And everything the kids earned went to expenses in college.
But now, my spending isn’t as limited. It creeps up on you, and then you are blowing money on this and that. That’s what I wanted to cut back on, the creep and impulse buying.
Glad to hear that many of you are joining me for March. And that so many took what I said to heart.
Deb, you are speaking my language.
Still, I fell off the wagon during the weekend. I was in the cute downtown strip, and every store had a sale. These red jeans with animal,print spoke to me thru the window. On the way out, I went inside to check on them. I said too much money at 60% off , but manager said special,price on pants. The young people were buying 6 or more items as though the store was giving them away.
I did well in Feb. only bought that rug…
I’m in for March as long as things I’m buying for DDs May wedding don’t count. There are some things I’m looking for on sale…and when I see them…I need to buy them!
Im trying to make this a lifestyle norm, so I’m in, with a little les strict definition than some of you seem to have. For example, I spent $140 at Costco recently, buying TP and paper towels I had plenty of Kong’s of things, but when they have $s off, and it’s something I know we will use, I take advantage.
I am thinking of retiring in the next couple of years, and potentially moving, so I certainly don’t need much more stuff, generally speaking. I’m trying to make life more about experiences and spending time with people I care about, and less about accumulating stuff.
We celebrated Valentine’s Day with an experience. BUT, my birthday is this week, and I did ask for stuff (so people would buy me things i really “need” like a lipstick I lost, and a small perfume I’m almost out of, instead of stuff that I would just toss or donate).
^^ As it should be, your regime so reflect what is good change for you. I’m not interested in being a miser…but I also can save some $$$ - and perhaps save enough FOR a fun experience - but just adopting mindful spending from a coffee drink I don’t really need more than occasionally to saving $$ on clothes. I really have noticed my credit card bill being lower both January and February 2018 - bring on March!
I was doing really well until yesterday. My favorite retailer was having special sale, plus I got extra off for my birthday, and I have several gift cards. I went online and ordered with reckless abandon. But here’s my justification - my S is graduating in May and its multi day affair. I need some nicer clothes and the price was right. I also bought some new Spring clothes for work. I’ve been looking pretty ragged. I expect I’ll return some of the items so maybe the total damage isn’t so bad.
On the positive side, I didn’t make any impulse purchases in February. Amazon must wonder what’s happened to me. Its been fun deleting the daily emails and catalogs that were so tempting. My refrigerator also isn’t stocked with multiple selections of the same things.
I’m all in for March.
Today was a very bad day. We went to the Ferry Building with my BIL (who drove). He parked the car on the street. None of us noticed any of the signs. Sadly, the car was towed and it was a Uber ride with a very sad story and drive of our rental car to fetch the car—$391 towing fee + ticket! We will be sending BIL a check for a portion of these charges none of us had anticipated. ;-(
I did mindfully purchase a few gifts for folks who are doing us favors in connection with this trip (loved ones who drove us to and from airport, someone watching our house and doing me s favor).
I find it relaxing to browse home goods and TJ Maxx, as someone mentioned upthread. The challenge is to keep it at browsing. I love gadgets and seem to easily find things in those stores that would make my kitchen or cooking better. I’m looking forward to the weather improving. I’ll gladly trade in my store browsing for hiking in the woods and working in the yard.
There is a TJMaxx near my office. What keeps me from buying stuff there is the thought of riding the bus with a load of crap. Nordstrom Rack stuff can be easily packed into my tote, so I avoid browsing there. 
I can sub in NR for TJ or Home Goods any day!!!
I’ve had a good month and plan to continue being mindful in March. My only real non necessity purchase was a bunch of new summer pjs for my granddaughters. I always try to buy their pjs anyway and Gymboree was having nice sale, so it was a good time to pick them up. I did go to Ulta to replace a Lancome lipstick that was just about gone and for the first time, really let the ridiculous price register. I did still purchase it as I wear this shade everyday, but did not even consider picking up another shade that I might occasionally wear. I also drove right by NR without stopping!
I think my UPS guy must think I’m ill or something! 
^^I’ll take TJMaxx AND NR any day. My two favorite places to wander around. Have stayed away all month.
@HImom, sorry to hear about the car. Parking is tough in SF and it’s easier than it should be to get a ticket or, as you discovered, get towed. Hope you had fun at the Ferry Building, though. Great food.
Yes, we treated BIL to a nice lunch at Hog Island Oyster Co before we saw the tow trucks and rushed to learn our car had been towed. Wow are towing charges and tickets in SF high!