and so today begins my 10 month spending frost. (i say today since i assume you're reading this on saturday and not friday night, and if you are reading this on friday night, it's halloween - close this page right meow and go eat a candy bar. bonus points if it comes from some little kid's trick or treat bag. double triple bonus points if said kid is in no way related to you.)
while not a total ban on spending (that pesky rent), my frost is a ban on pretty much anything non-essential. of course, i pick halloween weekend/the weekend tara is in town to start this, so chances are i'm already over budget. but i hope not! it's definitely going to be tough in the upcoming holiday months, but since my christmas shopping is already done and november is my birthday, i think i can hold out. i have a notebook that i'm going to keep a running tally of all my spending in, including rent and other monthly fixed bills. i also track this stuff in ynab. i might do a post at the end of each month with the numbers. not that you all care, but it keeps me accountable.
today also marks the first day of november and the start of a new month of the create your own challenge link up. last month's theme was food, so link up your results this coming thursday. can't wait to see how you did on the month, especially if you have any recipes to share! and remember, we like any posts about goal setting - not just food.
the theme for november (link up coming first week of december) is organize. december sets in pretty quickly and the month is full of holiday craziness - gifts, wrapping paper, baking supplies, decor, the list goes on. so take november to get your space organized. ideally, before thanksgiving! get rid of any decor you don't use any more, clear out any kids toys that can be donated. make room in your fridge and pantry for all the holiday goods that are about to come in. having family over? switch the furniture around, set up the linen closet so it's easy for them to navigate, use up those travel bottles by setting them out for guests.
the challenge can be anything you want it to be. just do yourself a favor and get something organized before december. near-future you will be very thankful. as for me, i'll be getting my gift giving organized - i currently have a mish mash box of gifts sitting in the hutch in the dining room. i'm going to get those all together and wrapped up so it can be all ready to go whenever i see people in december. i'll also be continuing on my decluttering challenge; i plan on specifically tackling some things in my mom's attic. i'll be at her house watching her dogs for 5 days later this month so i should have plenty of time to get through my boxes there. wish me luck!
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