Ah, The Compact and the knowledge that next year I will not be allowing myself to purchase...so this past month I have gone INSANE with the shopping. I can literally justify everything I have purchased because they were all for home and Jacob as well as clothes for me to help me with my goal of feeling chic. With the knowledge that I won't be buying next year I said to myself "well I should get them now because I need them and won't be able to later". See. I have a problem. A big one. I need a personal detox, a cold bath, a wake up call and 2013 is going to be it for me. By putting this change out there for the world (hi world!) to read, I'm hoping that I stick with it. The shame of falling off the wagon and having to chronicle it should be enough of an incentive, I hope.

I do want to mention that none of this has involved debt in any way. We have been debt-free (excepting the mortgage) for years now. I have zero desire to go back to juggling balances and zero-percent cards and I'm pretty sure D would explode like a firework if we were ever in that situation again. The shopping has, however, not allowed for much (or any) growth in savings and that's not good. I'm too old to be living paycheck to paycheck.

Plus, if we're going to be eating all this lovely organic foods and grass-fed beef and pastured pork it is more expensive (well the grass fed beef is actually cheaper than Whole Foods and Trader Joes because we go directly to the source). I need to make up the difference in our grocery bill somewhere. Not going to Amazon and finding the niftiest, most educational toy or the coolest way to store my spoons will definitely help. Also fighting the desire to buy something new when I feel like a schlub.

The one caveat I'm going to put in place (see - already a caveat) is books and art supplies for J. Those I don't consider luxuries or wants.