Breaking the shopping hiatus.

At the beginning of the month of August, I had decided to go on a shopping hiatus. It is between seasons, new bills are popping up, and I wanted to set money aside for the things I really wanted.

And then, it was broken. Now, in my defense, I had been looking for a watch since last September, and never was really able to commit to one. I found it, within budget.

(Via Fossil)

I was also able to pick up an item on my wishlist, thanks to the money I'd set aside.

(Via J.Crew)

I absolutely love the Winter White, where I've never dared tread before. It might be time for a little bit of leg toning.

Now, the money I set aside ended up having to be used for certain bill paying (due to repetitive sickness), but it was still nice having that kind of back up. It's becoming more and more important for me to budget, not step away from my "list", and SAVE. It may not work out the way I want it to, every time, but what does?

Advice:
1. Figure out what your fixed expenses are (ie. Rent, Phone, Internet, etc.).
2. Figure out what your weekly varied/fixed expenses are (ie. Transportation, Groceries, etc.).
3. Figure out what you have left! You may be surprised at the amount. The next step of the process is to figure out what it is you are spending it on, and then figure out what you WANT to spend it on. The best way to do that is to start an expediture journal, tracking your everyday expenses. You might figure out that that extra coffee isn't something that works into your plan, or you figure out that if you spend a little more on groceries, you won't have to buy lunch every day.

You can find a lot of different books to help you figure out how to budget the best way for you, but my inspiration is: The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs

xo