This is Part 8 of my 90-Day “Not Buying It” Challenge.  Inspired by Judith Levine’s book Not Buying It.
You can read my previous posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.
Here are my rules for the 90 days:
* No shopping except food and essential items
* No new books, clothes, or music
* No eating in restaurants or buying take-out
* Try to use up food items that are already in the house
* I’m still allowed to pay for dance and yoga
Day 50: I feel like I’ve been buying way too much food.  Maybe I’m channeling all my shopping energy into groceries because that’s pretty much all I’m allowed to buy?  I went to Trader Joe’s thinking I didn’t need much, still spent $200.
Day 51: I make up a big batch of curry quinoa salad with craisins, pine nuts, peas, and chickpeas.  It turns out delicious!!! (Thank goodness, because the red lentil pasta I bought from TJ’s was a fail.)  I pack it up to have for lunch for the week.

Day 52: I go back to Trader Joe’s to buy Olive Oil, somehow I spend $80.    Why I am I such a food hoarder???  It’s not like I’ve ever gone hungry in my life, or even been afraid I would.
Day 53: If you open my ex-husband’s fridge you will see a pot with whatever sauce he’s cooked, a container with cooked white rice, and a jar of hot sauce.  Maybe some juice.  That’s about it!!  I always admire that minimalism in the kitchen.  But I don’t know if I could realistically live that way.
I mean, I guess most American parents with kids living at home have a pantry and cupboards and fridge full of food.  Right?  It does seem kind of weird though.
Day 54: Every day I think to myself, I hate all my clothes, I want a whole new wardrobe, I don’t know how I even get dressed every morning…
Oh hey!!!  Look what I found on the sidewalk this morning!!!  Maybe the Universe is rewarding me for being so good with money?  🙂

My daughter asked what I was going to do with the money.  Something special?  I said, Put it towards my student loan.
Day 55: We have a potluck at work.  I haven’t planned anything, I decide to make a fruit salad.  Without needing to buy anything I already have bananas, apples, oranges, papaya, kiwi, and coconut flakes.  It’s good I can pull something together last minute, but is it weird that I have that much food just laying around?  Well, I use it all, none of it goes bad, so maybe it’s not weird.
Day 56: My knee is still healing slowly but surely, and I’ll do anything to speed it along! I stop at Whole Foods.  For groceries all I get is some coconut milk yogurt, but I buy almost $80 worth of supplements for joint health.  Ugh. Hopeless.
I’m going to see if I can skip grocery shopping for the next week.  I should have enough food already to last a week, or two…
So what am I doing with myself without spending any money?  Lots.  I go for walks every day, which I LOVE, and this week was especially amazing because we had a couple of 70-degree days (um, yeah, it’s February and there is still snow on the ground from the 8 inches we got last weekend…)  I practice my bass.  I do yoga.  I read, a lot.  I listen to music.  I hang out with friends.  I hang out with my kids.
What would I be doing with myself if I were spending money?  Well, last year at this time I was on a beach in Costa Rica…  There is a record store a few blocks from my house and every time I walk by it I want to go in and buy some vinyl.  Even though I don’t like shopping for clothes, I really do want some new clothes, both for work and for weekends.  I’m sure if thought about it I could come up with a LOT more! New stuff for the house, the garden, new hobbies, new appliances, maybe a new gym membership that I wouldn’t use…
Maybe I should make a list of stupid things I have spent my money on and later regretted 🙂