after the FTJ's spending freeze is done? What have you learned? Are you going to continue and stop and ask yourself "do I really need to buy this?"

I've learned so far that it's really easy for me so far to avoid places that are a temptation to me to buy things we really don't need (Dollar Tree, Dollar General, consignment stores, book stores).

I've already learned that I don't NEED most of the stuff I tend to think I do!

I plan on continuing to go straight home after dropping off and picking up my oldest son from pre-school. The sad thing is my 2 year old son is still in the habit of asking "go to store now?" everytime we pull out of the school parking lot - that's so sad.

I plan on continuing the "Approved Spending" list. DH & I will be discussing all purchases for the month. We're gonna plan ahead each month and really thing thru each purchase we think will come up. That way when something does come up (i.e. I'm out and find something we 'need') I know it's not approved and I have to approve it first.

I also plan on buying needs and only SOME wants. I keep a list now of things I want to buy. Mostly becasue I have some Christmas money that I am not going to use till after the freeze is over. SO, I've been keeping a list of things I want. This is great because it's more specific. Like right now I want a nice sweater-style jacket because I hate wearing my coat when dropping off my son, and hate throwing on one of my 2 frumpy, bulky, 8-year-old sweatshirts. In the past I would have just said I want clothes. Then I would have gone out and bought stuff I really didn't need and would never have thought about the jacket.

I LOVE all the lessons I've learned so far. I LOVE the fact that already I can go into Target or Old Navy looking for a specific item I need and get out of there with that one item or nothing if they don't have it! (I've done this a couple of times already - even with the great sales)

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Stay at home mom to my 3 boys... ages 5, 3 & 1!

I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I have learned alot about me and my shopping habbits. I am now looking at my needs and saying no to nearly all of the wants. I still want coke zero and chocolate so I think I should consider moving them. I have been shopping and I have left things there that I just don't need now. The decluttering is going very well and I am so excited about all of the free space I am finding that I just dont want to store things in those places! I am even starting not to feel guilty about saying no to eating out.

I am even excited about paying off CC's now!!

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I have really learned a lot from this project. I wish I would have done this a long time ago. I am going to try and continue the "buying only the necessities" habit I have learned so that I don't have to worry about money anymore. I have actually enjoyed myself because I made it a personal challenge not to spend money. In fact I was looking at my bank statement from last month and I can't even imagine spending that much money in one month ever again!

i have learned that there are so many things that we want but don't need and we are going to continue to look at things closely and keep simplifying our life.

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'The will of God will never take you where the
Grace of God will not protect you.'

HAVE A BOOTIFUL HALLOWEEN

I have learned more than I ever imagined that I would. I look back on my finances from the last 5 or 6 years and I'm absolutely disgusted with the way I've managed them. But with FTJ I am happy to say that I have reigned in my impulse shopping and I now know where all my money is going to. I don't have a surplus of "stuff" on hand that I don't have a place for because I'm not buying things just because they were a good deal.

I enjoy the challenge of having to be creative to get things and I am enjoying knowing that I am not wasting my money on things I will regret later. No more buyers remorse for me.

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Proud mommy to adorable Kinsley

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[quote=MandaRenee]I have learned more than I ever imagined that I would. I look back on my finances from the last 5 or 6 years and I'm absolutely disgusted with the way I've managed them. QUOTE]

you took the words right out of my mouth.
I really wasn't thinking of the "future"
I was spending without looking@prices...isn't that crazy. i was trying to live a life of luxury, and although im not poor, I was not really saving any money.

since the FTJ Project and mommysavers, I love, love, to see how much I can stretch my money.
I's kind of a game, I feel so liberated, and free to know that all that money is not being saved up, paying down my debts (now only my car and st. loan) NO MORE CC DEBT!

BUT WHEN i LOOK BACK, I WANT TO GO INTO A TIME CAPSULE AND CHANGE EVERYTHING I DID.

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Thanks,
Bestmommysaver!