Week 2: OWN IT October

Week 2: OWN IT October Progress Update

Happy to report I’m still doing pretty good at following my own advice this past week.

I went out unsupervised ONCE and spent too much. But the second time I went I only got what we needed and came straight home (LET’S GOOOOOO).

Unfortunately our children did NOT allow me to film my money date video like I wanted. So I will have to postpone it a little longer. I did create the following definition just in case there was any confusion about what a money date is.

I did still keep my money date and reviewed the numbers. Wine, sweatpants and some light crying was included, lol.

Let’s look at the data and see what we have spent so far in October:

• Groceries/Household: $208.06

• Dining/Eating out/Entertainment: $373.51

• Childcare (diapers, wipes, formula, orajel): $183 (will be once Amazon subscribe and save for diapers goes through)

Money WIN: New outfits/accessories/home decor purchased: ZERO - STILL ROCKING

Money WIN: PAID OFF 2 small medical bills

Money WIN: Stuck to the list on an unsupervised shopping trip.

Money WIN: Met goal of keeping an eye on bills and mail. Found TWO subscriptions that I canceled before I got charged. Also documented a conversation about a medical bill that came in handy when they called me today.

That being said, shit is expensive. I am OVER the prices (especially at the grocery store) and now because Mila needs bougie formula, that is going to add significant expenses JUST FOR THINGS WE NEED.

This week I would like to work on:

• Dining/Eating out/Entertainment - We’ve been trying to stick to only Fridays and getting pizza. But that doesn’t always work. For example, I was swooned by KFC the week prior, and spent FORTY EIGHT dollars in a panic because it was too late to go back. I did better this Friday by going to Little Caesars, and Little Caesars only.

• Groceries (specifically getting better rewards) - I have been finding success in using Instacart curbside. It keeps me out of the store and away from shiny temptations, it allows me to see my total before I get to checkout, and the Aldi we use is 5 minutes from our house and FAST. I use the Fetch app to get points for my receipts, but I know there are several other apps you can use to stack points and get more money (or gift cards) back. The goal is to work smarter, but hopefully not harder.

• Finish another DIY project - I am going to do a separate post with pictures for steps on HOW I did it, but here is the finished product: OWN IT OCTOBER DIY Velvet Headboard. I did not purchase anything new for this :)

Both items I used for this headboard were from Aldi, purchased over a year ago.

Money GOAL: keep dining/eating out/entertainment under $400 (previous goal of $350 NOT MET)

Money GOAL: pay off my credit card and LOCK IT UP. I mean that literally, I’m putting it in our safe. I cannot be trusted with it right now.

Outfits for the week of October 9th - October 13th

It was the typical fall cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. I am prepared now.

Dress: Salvation Army Hoodie: TJ Maxx Sunglasses: Dollar Tree Cat Socks: Sister Monica (thanks girlie) Shoes: Walmart

Pants: Walmart Rib Knit T-Shirt: SheIn Zip Down Hoodie: Salvation Army (Cat & Jack originally) Shoes: Walmart Hat: Adidas (Dunham’s) Sunglasses: Dollar Tree.

Knit dress: Salvation Army (Nine West) Pink cord button down: Salvation Army Pink sneakers: Asos Sunglasses: Goodwill Earrings: Amazon Scrunchie: Amazon.

Dress: Target Betty & Veronica cropped t-shirt: Poshmark Zip down hoodie: Salvation Army Sunglasses: Dollar Tree Sneakers: Walmart Earrings: Salvation Army.

Warm weather ended so we stayed inside and snuggled.

Red knit hooded pullover: Mercari or Poshmark (I can’t remember) Pants: Walmart T-shirt: Amazon

Money dates have been helping us keep track of where we are at in our progress so far this month, even though they are not the most fun.

We also try to celebrate our money wins and goals with each other, accountability partners for the win!

Sample sticker I would give myself for my money win :)

Talking about money is important, just remember to be kind to one another, keep an open mind, and an open line of communication.

Did you use anything you already own in October so far?