Give Me Back My Five Bucks

Most of you know that I’ve been on a self-imposed clothing/accessories/shoes shopping ban since January 1st. Well now that the ban will be over on May 19th, I’m starting to compile a small list of items I would like to buy. And then after May 29th (when I come back from Toronto and NYC), the plan is to continue the shopping ban for the rest of the year. That might be a bit ambitious, but I think I can do it. I did a 6-month shopping ban last year, and am just about to complete another 5 months. For those … Continue reading →

I had been saving my Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks (affiliate link) to buy the Kindle. Originally, I was against e-readers (and I still am, sort of), because I love the feeling of real books. I love the smell of them, opening them up for the first time, the feeling of holding one, and being able to lend them to friends. What I do not like, however, is the weight. I like bringing at least 2 books with me on every trip, but that can get heavy! Especially when I put them in my purse for the plane ride. And … Continue reading →

With my 6-month shopping ban over, I faced a 1-week window of opportunity over the holidays to pick up a few items before embarking on another shopping ban until my trip to NYC. Here are the items that I bought: So these items are what I considered to be most important off of my list of wants. I actually had purchased another top and a jacket, but once I got home, I realized that neither of them were really on my list and I didn’t really want them – so they both got returned. I really tried to get a … Continue reading →

My shopping ban will be over in another week. Since July, I haven’t bought any clothing, accessories or shoes for myself – except for my field hockey uniform which was required and purchased through the team (and a separate dry fit long sleeve top to wear under my jersey). And a Maid of Honour dress for my friend’s wedding in Hawaii. Now what I’m planning on doing is clearing out my closet of anything that I haven’t worn this year. If I can sell it, I will list it on eBay, otherwise it will go to goodwill. Once I am … Continue reading →

I’m happy to say that my Christmas shopping is almost done. I didn’t have a budget this year, but I anticipated spending around $600 (that’s what I budgeted last year) … and I was relatively close, coming in at around $667 for 13 presents. I’m surprised that I ended up spending more than last year, but I’m okay with it. Last year my Christmas present total might have been less, but this year I’ve been able to buy almost all of the presents through side income (apart from both my FT and PT income). That means my Christmas shopping will … Continue reading →