Cheapo

I want to buy a house. I want my own house that I can put all my things where I want them and make everything just the way I want it. And I want this house now. I don’t want it to be a far-off dream, a long-term goal, or something I do once I “get a real job” and a 401k and yadda yadda. I want to make it happen.

 

And I realized the only way to do that on my salary is to change my life. completely. extremely.

 

I have already cut down a lot on going out to eat and getting take out food. & I have somewhat started to wear clothes I already own instead of buying new ones. And I have talked myself out of several purchases lately.

 

But I’m talking more than this. I’m talking extreme. For example, the cookie swap that I didn’t want to do- set me back at least 14 dollars- that was the price of the cookies & the wrapping. But that doesn’t count the gas to get there, the frustration, setting me behind and up for failure the next day when I am all disheveled in the morning and decide to just go to dunkin donuts instead of having breakfast at home. & it also doesn’t count that while I was out I went into job lot and spent  $18 on things I don’t need..

 

While I’m at it, why does having friends & hanging out with friends have to involve spending money? why do we all have to get each other presents and go out for dinner or coffee? What I would love to do with my friends is get together & MAKE dinner. & not fancy-shmancy-trying-to-impress-each-other-dinners. I’m talking spaghetti. Who doesn’t love spaghetti with friends? Or when a group of us want to get together, why not do a pot-luck? I can get good at making one cheap but delicious dish, like a green bean casserole or this awesome broccoli salad that my aunt makes.

 

KIDS- They are like a toilet for your money, & I, being wise WAY beyond my years, know that they only get pricier with age. I know this because my childhood wasn’t that long ago, and I needed a lot of stuff. So in an effort to balance out the millions i will be spending on H in a few short years, I am going to go extreme at this end. His friends at school don’t care what he’s wearing, and neither do I. If it’s comfy and warm, it’s his. There is a local church that does a kids clothing swap every other Saturday morning. It’s completely free, you can bring clothes your child has outgrown, & take whatever you need. With the rate little kids grow, its just plain stupid to keep buying them new clothes when there are so many used ones available.

 

Kid activities & toys- free.free.free. All I’m spending money on is gas. H has like a million strollers, and we have a bike seat for him, so when it’s nice out, we’re walking to the park, or going for a ride. & when it’s not nice out, we’re playing with his bazillion toys that he already owns (thank you to all you kind people who got him bday presents- of my blog readers- Jen for the legos, & amy for the mr.potato head), going to the library for kid activities or just playing in their play area, and using free passes to local museums and stuff that I can get from the library. And I’m going to pack a lunch. Every time. Because those dollars will add up.

 

I feel like I have gotten off topic. Basically the moral of the story here is that I’m getting back to basics, I’m slowing life down, taking some time to enjoy the flowers, while putting as much money as possible in the bank. To buy my house that I want sooo sooo badly I will say no to new clothes, restaurants, dunkin donuts, and a social life for as long as it takes.

 

This is going to be really really hard, and those of you that know me well, know I am not an extreme person.

 

Which is why I am implementing my extreme money-saving cheapo-ness at the new year! Giving myself 15 more days to be ridiculously irresponsible! I am trying to think of everything I want & need so I can buy it now, before house saving starts. This includes a new wax pot from sally & the sticks & strips & stuff, which will probably run me about $50, getting some dry cleaning & clothing altering done & fixing up my sneakers, Christmas presents, & most likely new tires for my car, because I am going to need them soon. And I am going to get a haircut so I can prolong the next one as long as possible

 

Anything else I can hurry up and buy before my transformation?