About 3 weeks ago (on June 28, 2015), I posted an update on "becoming minimalist". (See original post here). At that time, I imposed a 90-day moratorium on buying clothes and I'm happy to report that I've stuck to it. It's definitely been tough and my habit of stress shopping online has been tempting a few days, but I haven't caved. (I did order 3 pieces of jewelry from the shopliasophia.com website when they offered free shipping, but I'm not counting that as "clothing").
Now, I'm ready to take things a step (OK, a leap) further though. I stumbled across this blog yesterday. It's by a Canadian girl named Cait. In it, she details how she paid off $30K of debt and eliminated 70% of her possessions and it's been really inspiring to read. If you've read this blog, you know I mention the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover quite a bit. Following that plan is really working for me so far! I've not been perfect on it by any means, but when I am focused on it, I've paid things off in gazelle-like fashion. (The numbers look like this):
1/12/13 to 10/19/13 - Paid off $12,000 worth of debt (in 9 months)
10/20/13 to 12/25/14 - Fell off the wagon so to speak and only paid off $3123.03 worth of debt. (In my defense though, I did take a $12,000 pay cut at a less stressful job during this time, so funds were tight).
12/26/14 to present - paid off $3684.66 worth of debt - Just started a new job in February with and received a pay raise, so once I re-established my $1000 emergency fund, I'm able to throw money at that debt snowball and get things paid off!
Grand Total Paid off to Date: $18,807.69
I still have $13,611.31 in credit card/stupid line of credit I took out in college to pay off though and $27,136.24 in student loan debt to pay off (for a total of $40,747.55), but I'm chipping away at it with each paycheck. Roll (debt) snowball, roll!!
Possessions
Ugh! I have so many! Literally, a house full of crap that is basically just clutter. Cait counted her possessions and kept a running total of what percentage of her possessions she eliminated. The thought of counting every single item in this house is beyond daunting! I wouldn't even know where to start! (I'm guessing the number is in the 1,000's easily)! (For example - I have 28 colored (not your basic black or blue) ink pens sitting in a holder on my desk alone). Needless to say, this will be an ongoing process of going through things and eliminating items little by little.
Goals
Everyone is different, but I accomplish things best when there's a set goal in mind. My goals of becoming more minimalist are as follows:
1. Reduce the overall clutter in my house
2. Pay off all debt except the house and my student loan by 3/15/16
3. Increase my focus on relationships by decreasing my focus/distraction on possessions
4. Sell at least of $1000 worth of items on eBay, the Twice clothing website, etc. and save that money (for what is yet to be determined)
Allowed Items
The things I'm allowing myself to buy over the next 7 months:
**For all items, I'm only allowing myself to buy new if I've run out of something/am about to.**
1. Groceries
2. Cosmetics (only basics such as mascara, eyeliner, and foundation)
3. Toiletries (toothpaste, toilet paper, shaving gel, tampons, etc.)
4. Essential clothing items (black pants, jeans, comfortable shoes)
5. Vehicle essentials (gas, oil changes)
6. Gardening items (seeds, soil, etc.)
7. Wellness (Rx, vitamins, gym membership, 1 pedicure every 2 months (treat to myself), 1 message each quarter if I stick to my goals)
8. Household essentials (laundry detergent, light bulbs, etc.)
9. Gifts for others
10. Entertainment/"Food for the Soul" - This includes "Friends and Family night" & People Magazine - at least 1x weekly with a budget of $200/month. If I'm not spending money on clothes and subscription boxes, I can put that money towards forging stronger relationships with those I love. Reading People magazine is part of my Friday night veg out/de-stress routine. Plus, I re-cycle them by passing the magazines along to friends/family who enjoy them.
11. Kitty Cats (food, kitty litter, vet appts, etc.)
Other - (Not sure if I'll actually purchase these items or not, but they are on my "wish list"):
1. New non-fabric living room couch
2. New living room chair to replace my grandma's old chair
3. Fix cracked laptop screen
4. Hardwood floors for the house (I have bad allergies, so getting rid of the carpet would help decrease those. Plus, the carpet is just old and dingy).
My other goal is to post updates at least 1x weekly on how things are going and what I've purchased/purged.
Wish me luck!!
XOXO,
Stephanie
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