I'm Not Buying It - Month 4 Check In!

Today begins Month 4 of the I'm Not Buying It Challenge. How have months 1-3 been for you? Have you purchased anything newly manufactured? What was it and why? Have you found this to be a breeze or a challenge? Is there anything you need that you haven't been able to find second-hand?

If you've made it this far, pick yourself up a badge and show off your accomplishment!

For the most part, the last 3 months have been easy for us. I've mainly stayed strong by staying out of the stores. No temptation = No purchases.

Last weekend though I almost had a meltdown. I had to stop in Target to exchange my food processor that mysteriously stopped working (I may or may not have dropped it accidentally.) when I felt this overwhelming wave of consumerism. What can I say? I love pretty things - handbags and stationary and cute shoes and summer dresses. But the fact is that I'm sitting on the couch at 11:21 am, still in my pajamas and robe as I write this. I wouldn't be any happier if I was wearing an adorable summer dress and cute shoes with a new purse over my shoulder. It's more the potential that those things represent. And, let's face it, I'm not living the Sex and the City, lunch-with-girlfriends-on-the-streets-of-Manhattan lifestyle.

So...we high-tailed it out of the store and went for strip mall pizza in the suburbs instead. So glam.

Purchases -New

• Back in January we purchased a children's book for charity.
• In February, I bought a watch with a credit that I had already. It was an impulse purchase and I feel bad for doing it, even though it was with a credit, but I'm still pretty happy with my watch.
• March went pretty smoothly. I purchased a Wii game for Macy for her upcoming birthday. Gifts like this are exempted under the compacting rules we set for ourselves. I did purchase it with a gift card and her other gift came from the thrift store, so I don't feel all that bad.

Purchases - Used
There have been a few things we've needed to purchase over the past three months that we were able to find used: smaller jeans for Mr. Greenhab (curse him!), longer jeans for Macy and Fletcher, and bigger jeans, unfortunately, for me. (Maybe I should trade my robe and pjs for some workout clothes?) I was able to find gently-used jeans for Fletcher and Marc on eBay. Fletch got 5 pair for $20, all one size too big (by design, so they'll fit longer) with an adjustable waist.

And between two thrift stores I was able to find Macy 4 pairs of jeans and a pair of denim capris, also with adjustable waistbands, for under $15. Since jeans are just about the only thing she'll wear these days, Goodwill is her new BFF. Like mother, like daughter.

I also purchased a pair of jeans, a pair of capris, a pair of shorts, a skirt, a t-shirt, and a button-down shirt for myself for summer, all for about $10 at Goodwill's 50% off day. See? I'm even cheap when it comes to thrift store shopping.

Fill me in, readers, on how you're doing with compacting!