Week 2 Status Update

Alright, this past week was atypical and my schedule was all over the place. I had to go out of town for work, I visited with a friend who was in town for her work and then I went to Raleigh for the long weekend. This meant I wasn't able to focus on finding ways to help others or give in my free time or write any blog posts, like I had intended on doing last week.

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Week 2 Summary:
Wanted
Clothes

Donated
6 Photos through Donate A Photo (Johnson & Johnson)

Wish List
Posture Corrective Brace
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Being busy also didn't allow for much time of wanting either. So I guess I don't have much more to say about Week 2.

-J

Week 1 Status Update

So it's been a week since I began the challenge to stop buying things for myself...for a year...in order to give more. Before beginning this project, it was already one of my passions to give to others. However, I didn't make much of an effort to give other than tithing and the occasional fundraiser that popped up on my radar.

I haven't felt much different this week. I realized that I don't really spend much money on myself in terms of things. I spend money on food and experiences. For example, this week I bought lunch on Tuesday and Friday. I also went to dinner with co-workers on Wednesday and with my husband on Thursday. Then we went to DC today, so we had lunch there and grabbed dinner after church tonight because we will both be gone this week for work (didn't want leftovers). I had only planned to eat out twice a week if you read my last post. But Wednesday's dinner, I didn't end up paying for, which means I technically only broke my rule three times by eating out five times instead of two. That doesn't justify breaking my rule, I'm just impressed I was able to keep my eating out somewhat in check. Another example - I bought bus tickets to NYC for my husband and myself.

These are minor purchases in my realm, but it opened my eyes to how much I spend on food. Having an unlimited budget for food seems like cheating, so I'm glad I made some rules for myself. When I bought the bus tickets, realized that I have a few trips planned this year and I will have to make an adjustment to the eating out rule, or I'll be really hungry (and not pleasant). Eating out rule adjustment - when Aaron or myself do not pay for the meal, it does not go against my two meal a week rule.

Now that I've confessed my purchases, even though they don't count, let's move on.

Self Improvement Projects

To be completely cliche, I want to make some self improvements in this brand new year.

Over the past year, I've slowly become aware to how much I actually consume. Plastic cards and online shopping have made it very easy to spend without feeling like you're spending actual money. Take a scroll through my Pinterest page. Throw in some advertisements on all the things I "need" to have a life full of happiness and rainbows. And "SNAP" goes my self-control.

I've attempted to build and manage a budget for our household since we got married...four and a half years ago. I fail miserably at keeping up with it. Plus every month there is some sort of unexpected expense that only happens once every eight years that pops up and messes it all up. So I start and stop and start and stop and start and stop. It really hasn't been a huge deal because we're able to pay our bills every month, thankfully.

Through both experiences, I've felt a pull. A pull to get our budget under control in order to be more financially secure and to give more. God is calling me to live out my life as His disciple, in a way that honors Him. I am passionate about giving to those in need and helping those that cannot help themselves. This passage constantly comes to my mind, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." -1 John 3:16-18