Celebrate!

I am feeling very melancholy as I sit here thinking of the past year and that it is over.  It is ending in quite an unimpressive way.  Geez, if only I had a few friends that played some instruments that would go marching through the great outdoors with me...if only. ;) I do have an HH sitting behind me playing on his new guitar that he just bought, and that is somewhat fabulous, considering that he's been playing on the same guitar for 19 years!

I'm not sure where this little blog stands now.  I'm sure I'll keep it up and going if only a little bit.  In fact I have a post from Ashley's little Yard Sale adventure (without me!) from last weekend.  It's going to blow you out of the water!  So look forward to that.

I still can't believe that it has been a year, I'm rather impressed with myself though.  I know that sounds super self indulgent, but hey I just went 366 (1 extra day because of leap year.  YES I'm counting it!) days buying only second-hand items! I deserve to be a little self indulgent and since I'm here, without a marching band, and I am a words person then I will go on in my self indulgence. :)  I'm AWESOME! Okay, I'm done now...

This project has been stressful as you know, and I've hated it, and cried because of it, BUT it has done so much GOOD for me and my family.  It has saved us so much $$$, has made me more aware of how wasteful we can be, and helped me think outside of the box more then ever.  I look back and can see how much good it has done for us.  I also hope that I have helped people be more inspired as well.  Helped people not to be embarrassed to shop second-hand and to see that it is so much more fun, and so much more creative and unique.  I hope that I've inspired people to SAVE money instead of SPEND money.  I hope I have shown someone what really matters in life.  It's not the fancy clothes you wear, or the expensive things you have around the house.  It's not the latest technology sitting in your hand or on your desk.  It's not the 2012 car in your garage.  It's the wonderful PEOPLE that surround you each day, it's GOD, it's PEACE.  

I have a saying hanging on my wall that says, "The secret to having it all is believing you do."  I couldn't agree more. :)  

THANK YOU so very, very much for supporting me on this little journey of mine.  Thank you for reading my blog.  Thank you for all the encouragement.  Thank you for all the nice things said.  Thank you for having Yard Sales. THANK YOU for INSPIRING me!

Now let's strike up the band, and...CELEBRATE! 

5 Days, But Who's Counting?

I am!  I'm counting!  This has been very awesome, very long, very life changing, very empowering,  very stressful, and I'm VERY ready to be done. :)  I'm so glad I stuck with it and did it though.  I can't believe I did!  It would've been so easy to just give up.  Nobody even cared but me.  It would've been even easier to cheat.  Do you know how many times I heard the phrase, " I'll buy it for you first, and then you can just buy it from me." No PEOPLE THAT'S CHEATING! :)  Love that everyone was so willing to help out though. :)  I have had so much support.  People you are AWESOME! 

I am very excited to buy something new AT LAST.  I've had lots of people asking me what my first purchase is going to be and I'm deciding on a couple of things.

A new swim suit.  The HH and I will be celebrating our 10 YEAR Anniversary this year and with all that money we saved this year ;) we were able to save enough to go on a cruise to celebrate. I can't even wait!!  Excited doesn't even begin to describe it!  So of course I'll "NEED" a new suit...or two. ;)  I haven't bought a new swimming suit in 5 years! 5 YEARS!

Here are some options, what do you think?

 This one as many options for bottoms. What do you think?

I also want one of these really cute floppy sun hats.  I've always been a fan, but never have bought one.  I think it's time. :)

Something else I've been eying are the cute colored  skinny jeans.  I especially like the mint, and the coral.

I'll be going to "City Creek Mall" in SLC this Saturday (Yes 2 DAYS before my project ends!).  I won't be buying anything, but I will be eying up all the stores to see what I want to buy come May 1st! Eeeeeee!

Anyone Need a Little Dave?

 http://www.daveramsey.com

A couple years ago the HH and I feel in love...with this guy, DAVE RAMSEY.  He is so incredible inspiring and motivating.  He is exactly what we needed at that time in our lives.  I am so glad that we found him sooner then later.  He teaches about getting and staying out of debt and how to use your money wisely.  By following his plan, it has given us so much more freedom, control, and peace of mind with our money.   Pretty much he's AMAZING!

He is a BIG reason why I did this project in the first place and a HUGE reason why I've stuck with it.  He has a radio show that I listen to almost every night while I do the dishes and clean-up the kitchen, it continually motivates me to 'stick with it'.  If you haven't checked him out yet, DO!

HAPPY SABBATH

I Love this talk so very much!  It is one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITES! Now every time I buy something I  ask myself, "Why I am buying it"?  "What is my intention"?

It's helped me immensely!  Maybe it will help you too. :)



That was just a tid-bit.  To read, watch, or listen to the entire talk(which I HIGHLY recommend) go HERE.

WAIT

One of the biggest things that has helped me through-out my project is learning to WAIT.  When I buy something at a Yard Sale or a Thrift Store I don't automatically give it to the person I bought it for. Even if it's for me. ;)  What if it only cost .25 though? Nope, I WAIT.  I WAIT for a special occasion, I WAIT for a purpose. 

I can't tell you how many times I needed a gift and went to my Gift Box and had the perfect thing.  I didn't have to go find something else because I had already given it to them. 

Especially with my kids.  They have so much stuff already that I don't love giving them more.  I'm rude I know.  Most times I even make them get rid of something before they get to have a new thing.  I know, I know I'm mean, but honestly people my kids are in NO WAY hurting for toys.  Their rooms are full and so is the toy box.  When I buy something for my kiddos it goes either in their gift box or their Good Behavior Bag to WAIT. 

Once in a while I do give something right away but more often then not I WAIT. :)  It has saved my life, not to mention, my time, my pocket book, and my stress level.

  

My Newest Addiction

"One man's junk is another man's treasure." -unknown

I may or may not be 100% addicted to this show!!!  Yep, pretty sure I am! :)

Inspiration

"The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket." --Frank Hubbard

 

A talk in Conference back in April of 2009 given by Robert D Hales really, really inspired me.  Here is a smidgen of it.  It's worth reading whether you are a Latter-Day-Saint or not.  He really speaks a world of truth!: 

"To provide providently, we must practice the principles of provident living: joyfully living within our means, being content with what we have, avoiding excessive debt, and diligently saving and preparing for rainy-day emergencies. When we live providently, we can provide for ourselves and our families and also follow the Savior’s example to serve and bless others.

Being provident providers, we must keep that most basic commandment, “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Our world is fraught with feelings of entitlement. Some of us feel embarrassed, ashamed, less worthwhile if our family does not have everything the neighbors have. As a result, we go into debt to buy things we can’t afford—and things we do not really need. Whenever we do this, we become poor temporally and spiritually. We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and put ourselves in self-imposed servitude. Money we could have used to care for ourselves and others must now be used to pay our debts. What remains is often only enough to meet our most basic physical needs. Living at the subsistence level, we become depressed, our self-worth is affected, and our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and the Lord are weakened. We do not have the time, energy, or interest to seek spiritual things.

May I share with you two lessons in provident living that can help each of us. These lessons, along with many other important lessons of my life, were taught to me by my wife and eternal companion. These lessons were learned at two different times in our marriage—both on occasions when I wanted to buy her a special gift.

The first lesson was learned when we were newly married and had very little money. I was in the air force, and we had missed Christmas together. I was on assignment overseas. When I got home, I saw a beautiful dress in a store window and suggested to my wife that if she liked it, we would buy it. Mary went into the dressing room of the store. After a moment the salesclerk came out, brushed by me, and returned the dress to its place in the store window. As we left the store, I asked, “What happened?” She replied, “It was a beautiful dress, but we can’t afford it!” Those words went straight to my heart. I have learned that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”

The second lesson was learned several years later when we were more financially secure. Our wedding anniversary was approaching, and I wanted to buy Mary a fancy coat to show my love and appreciation for our many happy years together. When I asked what she thought of the coat I had in mind, she replied with words that again penetrated my heart and mind. “Where would I wear it?” she asked. (At the time she was a ward Relief Society president helping to minister to needy families.)

Then she taught me an unforgettable lesson. She looked me in the eyes and sweetly asked, “Are you buying this for me or for you?” In other words, she was asking, “Is the purpose of this gift to show your love for me or to show me that you are a good provider or to prove something to the world?” I pondered her question and realized I was thinking less about her and our family and more about me.

After that we had a serious, life-changing discussion about provident living, and both of us agreed that our money would be better spent in paying down our home mortgage and adding to our children’s education fund.

These two lessons are the essence of provident living. When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, “We can’t afford it, even though we want it!” or “We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!”

Every time I read this even now, 3 years later, I get an over whelming feeling of the truthfulness of his words.  What an amazing wife he had to be able to turn down those beautiful gifts and to see the big picture. I'm not sure I could be that strong, and I know I haven't been in the past, but I am working on it. Please don't get me wrong though, GIFTS are GOOD!  But they are even better when you do NOT have to go into debt for them.  You can enjoy them so much more...don't ya think? The best gift my husband can get for me is peace of mind of no credit card debt. ;)

A blessing or a curse.

"I am having an out of money experience." ~Author Unknown

I have to admit that I have not always been a THRIFTY girl.  I've always liked getting a good deal , but I wouldn't say I was exactly "THRIFTY". GASP...I know right!  But like many of you out there, this recession has forced me to face reality.   Before, I would buy all my kids clothes at  Name Brand stores, and wouldn't necessarily wait for them to go on sale first.  I'd buy what I wanted, when I wanted it.  Why wait? We would eat out more often then not, or, we would eat out of a box.  I'm embarrassed to say that in the first 5 years of marriage we didn't even go through a 5lb bag of flour.  I can't believe I just admitted that.  But it's true.  Thankfully I've come a LOOOOONG way in the last 4 years.  Because of the recession I have been, not so gently, pushed in the right direction as far as finances go.  I use to think: "Why me?  Why do I have to go through this?  Why? Why? Why?"  Then one day (or maybe more gradually then I thought) I woke up.  I had my light bulb moment!  Why NOT me?  Instead I started thinking "What should I be getting out of all this and what was I suppose to be learning?"  I learned to tell the difference between a "want" and a "need".  I learned how to cook.  I mean really cook!  From scratch!  I'm talking, home made bread and rolls, noodles, and soups (not from the can!).  I learned what is truly important in life.  I learned that it actually was, and is, possible to be poor and happy.  I learned that there is so much more out there that is more important then money.  I learned the JOY of being truly "THRIFTY".   Life is good people!  Life is good!  I am SO HAPPY to have gone through the struggles that I have gone through.  Otherwise we would still be eating from a box; we would be living off our credit cards and wonder why we still weren't as happy as we could be.   I'm not saying that everyone needs to be like me or go through what I went through to learn these lessons.  You are all probably much smarter than I am in the first place.  I'm just saying that I have an AMAZING Heavenly Father who knows what I need, and knows what lessons I need to learn, so that I can become the best version of myself.  So not having money has become a blessing to me, not a curse.   It is funny (and slightly sad) that it took me a good two years to figure it out.  But I can honestly say that I know Someone is watching over me and even though I can't see the "BIG PICTURE" of my life, I know that they can, and I need to trust in that. So this "curse" became exactly what I needed to bless me for the rest of my life.

Pep-talk For My Brain.

So yesterday I logged on to my blog and glanced over to my countdown, and was caught off guard that I only have 4 more days until my 'Year of Thrift' kicks off.  I'm starting to get anxiety about it.  Why?  I'm not sure?  I'm basically already doing it, but there is something about being all "official"  about it and all.  Can I really do this?....HECK YES!  I know at times I'm going to wish I NEVER did it and wonder what possessed me to do it in the first place. It kind of reminds me of my thought process when I was giving birth to my son...natural, no epidural(What was I thinking? and why would anyone ever want to do such a thing!).  I'm hoping it is like giving birth, in that after it is over and I have had time to process I will think: "How AWESOME and AMAZING it was and that I am pretty much a modern day SUPERHERO.  The outcome was incredible, and if asked if I would do it again, I'd say: "PROBABLY" (but more yes then no;)).  The pay-off vs. the pain was well worth it.  I'm so sorry for the birthing analogy, but this is a Pep-talk for my brain, so I'm going with what works for me.  I can DO this!  I can go one whole year, 365 days, 1 Christmas, 1 Easter, 1 Mother's Day, Father's Day, and a ca-gillion birthdays.  I can do this right?  Well WHEN I do, do this I'm going to need ALL the HELP I can get.  So please drop by often and leave any helpful hints you might have.  I'm especially going to need A LOT of ideas for gifts.  Thanks for staying and playing along with me.  And if all else fails, this should make for an interesting year. ;)  Plus, look how cute we all look in our second-hand finds...

 The BOYZ in their second-hand outfits. 

Mister E.- Babystyle outfit= .50

Mister C-Old Navy Top= $2, Children's Place jeans= $5.99

Us girlies in our Second-hand finds. :)

Miss J-Old Navy top and skirt= $7, Old Navy Hat=1.99

Yours Truly- Down East Jacket=5.99

Layers white cap sleeve top=FREE

American Eagle Jeans=6.99

*The Handy Husband is sadly lacking in second-hand clothing.  Soon that will change and I'll post pictures of thee Handsome Hubby. :)  Apologies for the blurry pictures; my camera is on it's last leg and is struggling right now. :(  Maybe... ... just maybe, I'll find one at this weeks Yard Sales. ;)

**Thanks for all that voted on my paint dilemma.  Looks like the yes' won!  Oh happy day for me. :) 

Peace vs Pieces?

Never spend money before you have it. The rule which I wish to see you governed by through your whole life, of never buying anything which you have not the money in your pocket to pay for. Be assured that it gives much more pain to the mind to be in debt, than to do without any article whatever which we may seem to want."
-Thomas Jefferson   

How? How?  Is the question I am asked when out shopping with friends/family.  How can you not buy things?  How can you be so strong?  This quote sums it up perfect for me.  I finally got to the point where I would rather have PEACE in my life then PIECES of clothing(or whatever).  Yes I like to look good, but you know what I like even more then that?  Feeling good.  I love the feeling I get when I DON'T buy that item and I DON'T put it on a credit card, and I DON'T pay interest on it.  I LOVE the feeling I get when I can say "You don't own me!" to whatever item is there taunting me to buy it.  I LOVE IT!  I can be strong!  I can make the choice whether to buy or not to buy.  Whether I have PEACE in my life or not.  So go out make your choice and BE strong!!!!

Thoughts in my Head

"Being frugal does not mean being cheap! It means being economical and avoiding waste." --Catherine Pulsifer

I do not consider myself a cheap person.  In fact I really do have expensive taste.  Often I find myself flipping through the Pottery Barn catalog dreaming of what I could do with all that amazing stuff.  But then my daydreams are ripped back into reality with a glimpse of the PRICE.  Ouch! Or walking through Nordstrom's and The Gap only to find myself once again shocked at the prices but longing for something amazing to wear.  I LOVE TO SHOP!  But with a dwindling paycheck, a goal to get out of debt, and a ever growing pull to stop being so wasteful, I had to change my mindset.  So I started shopping "Thrift".  I started digging through junk to find that one spectacular find; the one where I can't wait another second to call my sister for her pant size, because I just found a pair of "Big Star" jeans for $7, and they look brand new.  Or, to drive over to a friends to show them my very "loved", $3 chair that I can't wait to get a coat of paint on.  Or, the joy on my kids face when I find them a bike, or dollhouse that cost less then buying a 'Happy Meal'.  I just get excited people.  I get excited about THRIFT, about being FRUGAL, about saving that dime so I can put it towards helping others, or making memories with my family.  That is what life is all about, not who has the newest, nicest stuff; not about who spent more on their shoes or their handbag; it's about family, friends, and for me, my Savior Jesus Christ.  So that is why I LOVE THRIFTING.  It lets me spend my money on what really matters while helping keep things out of the landfills and while providing me and my home a one of a kind look.

Before and After:

My $3 chair from a thrift shop. Worth every penny don't you think?

I think this little girl has some of her Momma in her. She spotted this little goodie from a mile away. It was all folded up in it's cute little carrying case, and she still saw its potential. Or maybe she was just sucked in by all that PINK.  She's truly a girlie girl.  We paid a whopping $3 for it.  JACK POT!

To Follow a Dream...

Hello my friends in Blog land.  How nice of you to stop by.  Hang up your coat, pull up a chair, and stay awhile...at least until the kids start screaming, and you can no longer tune them out. ;)


The start of something...AWE-SOME!

Project: Starting May 1st 2011 for one year, I will only be buying second-hand items, with a few exceptions, like: food, underclothing (because that's just nasty people), personal care items, and cleaning items. But, I want to buy those items as local and thrifty as I can.  You get the idea, all house ware items, clothing, toys, books, movies, etc. will all be second-hand.

Why:  For so many reasons, including (but not limited too):

I love a good challenge.
I love re-purposing things.
I love saving the world (modern day superhero).
I love saving moo-la.
I love finding something spectacular in unusual places.

I am pretty pumped about starting and although I know I might regret it at times, I know I can do it.  For one, I probably buy at least 60% of my stuff second-hand already.  Two, it's a good accuse to live at yard sales ALL summer and there are few things I love to do more...is that weird?  Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that.  But it's true.  You should have seen the treasures I picked up this weekend.  Wait for it and you will.  I'll be posting all the fun little finds I get and tips on how to thrift and what to look for.  I am a Thrifter at heart, and it may sounds crazy, but this has kind of been a little dream of mine.  No, not to deprive myself of "new" things, but to go out and find "trash" (if you will) and turn them into something beautiful, usable, and unique.  My husband tells me that he was my first "project".  He thinks he is SO funny.  Actually he is pretty funny, that is one of the many reasons I love him...he makes me laugh.     

So that's it folks, that's what my little project will be for the next 365 days.  I hope you'll stop by and see how I'm doing, check out my sweet finds, and DIY projects, including lots of re-purposing.  And perhaps you'll find yourself  motivated to be a little more THRIFTY yourself.   "Waste not, Want not." :)