splurging causes purging

this is how that balance makes me feel...
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a few months ago i made the decision to get a no interest rate credit card to pick up a few items i needed. my bed, mattress, moving costs, etc. i had high hopes that what i had learned over the past almost year would be enough to keep that card in my wallet. problem: old habits die hard.

soon after i got that card i confessed that i wasn't very good about spending wisely when i knew that i was going to have fifteen months to pay it off.

i cannot tell you the intense amount of anxiety i have knowing that credit card is sitting with a seemingly impossible balance on it because of a only a couple of months of haphazard spending.

first, i should tell you that my haphazard is by no means, WILD. if we are being honest, here's a couple places i went wrong: i bought about $280 worth of lululemon workout clothes and a new skin care line which was a bit spendy, probably $350 for the whole thing. i feel like those were my only two purchases that could be considered silly or unnecessary. i didn't start picking up $200 bar tabs, go on a shopping spree, or take a trip to europe. (which is annoying because i could have probably gone on a pretty decent vacation with all the money i somehow spent without noticing...UGH).

however, the card piled up a pretty decent balance, and even after a couple months of trying to put some cash down on it, i still have a balance flirting with $2,000.

$2,000??!?!

it got to TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS before the statement slapped me in the face??!? what the HELL.

so, now, i have this nearly uncontrollable urge to sell the majority of my belongings (furniture, clothes, etc) to get that damn thing paid off. i am so anxious and so irritated.

i have zero interest on that card until march of 2013, but i can't stand it. it's haunting me. i need to pay it off as soon as humanly possible.

the moral of the story...splurging causes purging. and nobody likes that.

fail.
ashleycolean

in my continued effort

...to be more present and live life in the now...this is a good reminder.

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try and live life like it's a treasure, not a chore.

happy weekend
xoxo ashleycolean

4 months into 2012

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my little updates continue on my goal list for 2012:

1. pay off my student loan DONE! 

2. go on a vacation to another country-i'm actually feeling pretty good about this one! i just went to get my passport today! not smiling for the photo took three tries, but i am one step closer to some sort of international adventure!

3. do something spontaneous (i know it seems like i'm planning it)-......

4. run another marathon (or at least a half)-despite the absence of training, i am "running" a half on june 2nd

5. get back in shape (aka lose the 25 lbs i put on since my last marathon-ugh)-this turned quickly into 35 lbs before i got committed to doing it, so now...a couple weeks into my efforts, i have lost 17 lbs with 17 to go. half way feels about 1,000 times better than the starting line.

6. read 3 classic novels that are often referenced (help with these options would be great)- i got addicted to the hunger games. like, seriously, addicted. now that i am wrapping up book 3 i am preparing to tackle the grapes of wrath, which has been staring longingly at me from the bookshelf since about 2001.

7. hug at least one person everyday-as it turns out i'm not a big hugger. there really aren't that many people i am just dyin to throw my arms around. i get a few here and there, but this seems like a warped goal for me, at least at this point.

8. be more present (try and live for the day not for the future)-i'm working hard on this, and still a work in progress.

9. put at least $10,000 in savings- i haven't been spectacular in this area....i am just under $2,000 into the savings so far. i am however, dangerously close to beefing my savings back up to what it was when i started the lockdown...so that'll be a good step in the right direction. AND, in addition, i didn't buy the new anthropologie bedding i was coveting because justifying $380 (after my (recently revoked) discount) seemed irrational with a sturdy savings goal in mind this year.

10. (still under consideration)-seriously, i still don't have a goal??

as you can see there is been little progress, but little progress, is better than no progress at all.
xoxo ashleycolean

the last day

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today is the last day, of my first year, of the rest of my life...

on may 1, 2011 i started my financial lockdown and it has been a great learning experience. i learned more about personal finance than i ever thought i would. i paid off my student loan debt in it's entirety, and i changed my perception of material things versus my desire to increase my net worth.

i learned that splurges are fine, in moderation, and that you should always hold on to the things that increase your happiness factor-within reason.

in 365 days i paid off $18,687.26!!

this is where i pat myself on the back!! what an accomplishment!! if i would have paid my minimum balance on my student loan and my car, i would have only paid approximately $6,168...less than ONE THIRD what i actually did!

my advise after doing this (kind of on and off but basically) for a year, would be, try it. if only for a month. skimp on things you would normally splurge on, buy generic, don't shop, and see what a dent you can make in your own financial situation! it was worth it for the past year, i promise.

best,
xoxo ashleycolean

what's it worth to ya?

it's funny what some people will spend their money on. generics won't hack it, they place more importance in certain areas over others, it's just what they've always done, brand loyalty, etc.

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lately, i've been spending a bit more than i'd love to on "quality" skin care products. i started the origins line about two months ago. i love the smell, the packaging, the philosophy, but not necessarily the price. i am still waiting to see if the results are worth the price...but the jury is still out.

do you have something you will spend more on? why? you just love it? you believe in it?

what's your spending soft spot, if you will?
xoxo ashleycolean

did ya know...

that if you take an empty bag of starbucks coffee into starbucks, you get a free coffee??
bomb.com?? i think so!

since we use starbucks at work,  every saturday and sunday i am set for a free cup o' coffee.

but hey, i got yours if you join.
xoxo ashleycolean

do it

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i just have to figure out what that is...
because life is way too short.
xoxo ashleycolean