Jello and Mad magazine.

After yesterday's very bad, no good day, today is absolutely beautiful. I walked up to Trader Joe's and the weather is perfect and it's all clean and clear from the rain. I'm working from home and am tempted to move it out by the pool. So nice!

Warning, I have my diamond shoes on and they're too tight.

So I'm Trying Not to Buy Things, for environmental, financial, and anti-clutter reasons. However, in the past two weeks I have bought:

3 cds - exception for buying music directly from artists!
a vegan cookbook for my sister - it was only $6 and has cool illustrations and easy instructions!
an umbrella - I lost mine and this one has recycled content and was on sale!
boots - meara found them @ half price and I love them!
pencil skirt - need it for Halloween and will wear it to work and will get rid of another black skirt to maintain black skirt balance!
A cotton/linen off-white shirt - $3 at thrift store and a good brand!
A wool cardigan - $3 at thrift store and in my color! I'm wearing it today AIFG!
A fuschia shirt - $3 at thrift store and needed for Halloween!
A wig - worn once and needed for Halloween!
Bamboo tights and a pair of socks - I had a gift certificate!

Now, at least I'm making conscious purchases instead of impulse and generally considering the environment. And I've finally started keeping track of all my expenditures, and I can afford it (nothing was bought with a credit card). But that is a *whole* lot of purchases in a short time, especially for someone who's Trying Not to Buy Things. Purchases total over $200.

The real diamond shoe issue is this: I want a denim pencil skirt and found two awesome ones for cheap. [link] [link]

My motivations are that I've wanted a denim skirt for a while, but it's hard to find an age-appropriate one. I would wear it to work a lot, I'm sure. But it's another skirt, another purchase. I'm going to try and wait a month, but the bargain hunter in me is screaming that they won't have my size/be on sale/have them at all.

AND I've still got the brown boots I'm dying to buy.

At least I got my diamond shoes secondhand at a consignment store, right? Right?

Yeeeah, I'm about to spend over a hundred dollars at my comic book store since they're having a sale. I'm not sure whether that is wise, but I figure my finances will deal...somehow.

Hot Jell-O in a mug was my gramma's solution to yukky tummy's and throats.

Hot Jell-o in a brandy snifter!

Jell-O with cold milk poured on top, was my Nana's treat for all that ails you.

Thank goodness for my mother. She took me out to lunch and to the market. I'm still in a ton of pain, but I am determined to go to girl's night tonight.

Hot Jell-O in a mug was my gramma's solution to yukky tummy's and throats.

Moldovans do a shot of vodka in hot tea, somewhat unsurprisingly. I turned it down.

Yeeeah, I'm about to spend over a hundred dollars at my comic book store since they're having a sale. I'm not sure whether that is wise, but I figure my finances will deal...somehow.

I keep trying to rationalize by telling myself I'm helping the economy.

t hugs rationalization tight

t edit I should say, the rationalization has nothing to do with my budget -- I keep my shopping within the limits of what I can pay cash/debit for -- the rationalization has to do with the low-impact effort that smonster is talking about.

Heh. I hear you Smonster. When the total added up at nordstrom, even knowing some of it wasn't mine, it was still a lot. But I'm wearing my new boots today, and they're super comfy. I'm just not looking forward to the next few credit card bills, since I'm taking four trips involving hotel and or airfare (including thanksgiving and Christmas but still, it's going to be huge)

I keep saying I am going to stop buying books uñtil I catch up on my to be read pile, but so far I have proven too weak.