Rocking A Spending Freeze

Now that the news is officially out, I'll be posting a bit more about our move, and letting you guys in on the details. As you're probably very well aware, moving can be ridiculously expensive, so we're on a spending freeze.

Now there are already a million blog posts written about the benefits and how-to's of spending freezes, but I'll just sum things up for you by telling you it's exactly what it sounds like. You simply don't spend money during a given period of time.

Now some people don't spend any money at all: they garden to get all their vegetables, use an out house, and start raising chickens. Needless to say, we won't be going that far. But until we've settled into our new place, we won't be buying anything but food and basic hygiene essentials. Deodorant, for example, is a hygiene essential. Lipstick is not.




When you're a nice girl who likes stuff, (ten points extra points if you know what I'm referring to), not spending any money at all can make you feel like you're missing out on some of the joy in life. But fear not, I've got a few tips for thoroughly enjoying yourself, while keeping your credit card out of sight.

1. Shop your stash.
Round up all of your beauty bits, and take a good look at everything. What haven't you used in a long time? What could you use differently (i.e. Bronzer for eyeshadow, or lipstick as a cream blush)? If you don't use it now, and can't see yourself using it anytime soon, give to someone who will.

You're bound to find some oldies-but-goodies you'd forgotten about, and you'll get rid of extra clutter. Feel free to do the same thing with your wardrobe.

I've got a box of stuff that I'm sending off to my mom tomorrow. She'll definitely get more use out of my unloved treasures than I would have.

2. Make space for new loves.
We have this shower gel that we loved when we bought it at Christmas, but simply can't stand it anymore. It the shower gel that never ends. We keep buying new shower gels and leaving this one in corner. But now that we're not spending, we're finally making progress on this monster of a bottle.

I like to mix it with salt to make a body scrub or use it as a brush cleanser.

Hopefully, we'll have finished the bottle by the time we move, and I'll be able to replace it with something off my lust list.




3. Consider today a special occasion. 
You know those fancy lotions or bath salts that you're just saving for a special day? It's time to adopt the Carpe Diem life philosophy when it comes to the stuff you stock in your bathroom.

The truth is that beauty products don't last forever. Heck. Most don't even last a year before they're swimming with microbes or the fragrance has gone off. Use it while it's in its prime and quit waiting for that special moment.


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What are your best tips for enjoying spending freezes and working around a budget?

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