Assigments #6 & #7

These will be your only assignments this week while you continue the spending freeze. If you didn't do well in week one - that's OK! There is always opportunity for a fresh start.

Assignment #6: Keep Track of Your Temptations
In your journal, start a page labeled "temptations". These are the things you really wanted to buy, found yourself justifying somehow, but passed up. If a temptation became a purchase, add it to your Approved Spending List. At the end of this project, we need to have an accurate picture of what spending was actually approved - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Even if your approved spending list is full of things you shouldn't have purchased, it will be a great tool to analyze later on.

Assignment #7: Celebrate Your Victories
In your journal, also start a page labeled "victories". These are the moments when you realized you didn't have to go to the store to make a complete meal, or when you found something for your kids to do that didn't involve spending money. (For example for me, it meant making my dad a homemade birthday gift).

Coming Soon: In the final weeks of the Spending Freeze we'll be analyzing your current financial situation to get a clear picture of where you are today. We'll also be giving you an opportunity to dream about where you'd like to be in the future. Good luck!

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I have my pages ready.

Under "Victories" so far I put that I didn't give in to going out to dinner Sat. night when my sister called, instead we took advantage of the nice weather to grill and later to watch a free movie from the library.

I'll have to think of my temptations...I fear they will be many.

My pages are ready too.

Luckily, not too many temptations yet...except that darned Mt. Dew (which BTW got moved to the approved spending list ).

Victories are great though ~ it becomes addicting to see how creative you can get, or what you can use up to move things to the victory side. I think I am driving my poor family nuts!

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I know one of my temptation is the clearance racks/shelves/displays!!

My dd was bugging me to take back PJ's to Khols that were the wrong size. Sooo, this weekend we did, bad idea!!!!

But it was a 1/2 victory, she got only new PJ's and a sweater and I only came out of pocket $1.32! But it was hard to leave the store, they were up to 70 and 80%!

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If it wasn't on a clearance rack, it's not in my house!

Temptations were many, however, the biggest victory this weekend was when I went to Kohls to buy my dad his birthday gift (on the approved list) and got it off the clearance rack for $18.00. That's not even the victory . . . I had $20.00 of Kohls cash from the holidays and used that!! His gift was FREE and he loved it!! Normally I would have spent a fortune and regret would soon follow.

Thanks Kim!!!

Um. I'm one of the ones who didn't do well this weekend! We went out to eat lunch twice (not good). Eating out is one of my temptations.

Well our biggest temptation was to rent movies this weekend, but it ended up being a victory, because we didn't end up going to the video store!

One of my forever temptations is Clearance Rack clothes for the kids Next yr!

I have been buying their clothes this way since before they were born -
I realized this HAS to go to the approved spending list , since I know Missing out on Expensive things Like Coats and Shoes - will Only cost me more next yr. I do not want to be stuck having to Shell out ALOT of money for them at once!!

I don't think I have ever bought A Full price winter coat!!

I have been tempted to go into bath and Body works though!!
BUT that is one of my Yr. long goals - to realize that their Great sales Come and Go..... so I DON't need to stock up every time I Am at the mall -
Yea , I may save 50 % or More - But really , I do NOT need half of what I buy.

Im getting my pages ready..... Im looking forward to this.
I'll have to list my horrible unexpected expense under my approved list. The catalytic of our truck was stolen, and it's gonna cost us over $100!! I sure wish i had an emergency fund... I look forward to that part of the FTJ Project.

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I, too, have fought the temptation to shop the clearance racks right now. I don't really NEED anything. Well, I take that back. My DD needed some new sweatshirts because she is in a growth spurt. I drove to local Goodwill and bought her some there. The great part is I found a BRAND NEW Aeropostle hoodie for her with a price tag on it of $32. I got it for $1.75.

I also almost gave in to the Bath and Body Works sale. I was checking my email and of course came across their specials. I looked around, added some Wallflowers to my cart (I love these), and asked myself if I really NEEDED them. We all know the true answer to that! I quickly exited out and felt really good about myself that I didn't spend that money. Isn't that what this challenge is all about?!?