no spend – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

Yarrow

Oh, hi April. I knew you were coming, but I didn’t realize you’d be here so soon!

Anyone else feeling that way today? It’s hard to believe that it’s already April and spring is upon us. I typically don’t partake in April Fools shenanigans but it seems that April had other plans for me starting with my phone deciding to install a software update overnight that required extra setup upon restart which didn’t allow my alarm to go off! Luckily the hubs woke me up with plenty of time to still get ready and out the door on schedule.

Hopefully that’s the last of the trickery today because it’s been a very busy week and next week will be even more so. I’ve got a couple of projects in the works that I’ll be sharing soon, but am also declaring April a no-spend month – no joke. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now and am still paying off our Hawaiian adventures so I’ve decided this is a good time to focus on completing outstanding projects and prepping items I’ll be selling at the Urban Junktion show in July, because that will be here in the blink of an eye!

My one exception to the no-spend rule will be the Consign 49 sale coming up next week since I have a gift certificate from the last sale and have items on consignment that should sell well so I’ve set a strict $50 budget and will utilize my consigner pre-sale pass to shop before the crowds. If I don’t find something I can’t live without I’ll hold on to that gift certificate until next time, but if I do it shouldn’t cost me anything once my sales are tabulated.

Well, that’s all for today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and will be back next week for a post on the custom grain sack pillow I ordered at the Vintage Market now that it’s done! 🙂

Happy New Year! Today is a busy one at the DB&DT house. I’m taking down all the Christmas decorations (since I won’t have another chance to do so for weeks) and we’re starting a few of the projects I have planned for 2015. But it’s also the beginning of my choice to have a “No Spend January” as part of my desire to pay off debts and better balance our financial standings.

What is “No Spend January”? It’s actually pretty simple, I will only be purchasing or spending for those items that are necessary – groceries, gas, regular monthly bills. So that means no trips to the thrift store, Target or through the clothing department unless it’s for a necessary item, which isn’t likely. Luckily I got a few gift cards for Christmas – one for $40 at Target and another for $40 at Pier 1, plus I won a second $35 Target gift card in a local contest. So I have a bit of a reserve I can utilize if I just need to go browsing. The hubs and I also got a $100 gift card to Home Depot for Christmas so that provides for any supplies I might need to work on projects in the mean time. The hubs also received a $40 gift card to Lowes for Christmas, but he’s not participating in my no spend project and I’ve told him those dollars are for him to use finishing his egg table.

Since I won’t be shopping, I won’t be bringing in any new projects which will allow me to focus on those that I’ve already purchased supplies for, but not yet completed. That list includes:

Installing shelves above the desk in the office/studio
Installing a cabinet in the laundry room
A bench for the foot of our bed
Candlestick pedestals for décor
Crate & Barrel Knock-off hurricane candlesticks
Applying felt to the legs of our barstools and dining room chairs
Organizing my fabric stash
Finishing the guest room closet install
Labeling my laundry supplies
Revamping several thrift store finds
Making a sign with a “Together” vinyl I’ve had for years
Prepping the items for a gallery wall I’m planning around the family room TV
Creating a photo collage from a large old window I brought back on our road trip last year

It’s a pretty hefty list, but I’m excited to see all those projects accomplished and removed from my to-do list. Doing it all without spending any more money is the cherry on top! So stay tuned to see how it all turns out over the coming weeks! And if you’d like to join me on this adventure share your journey as well!