It's Time!!!

The pool at the gym has reopened! It's time to go get the Goober Goggles!!!!

Be still my little capitalistic heart....

Getting Back To Normal

Granted, "normal" at Chateau Sutton-Goar can mean almost anything--including many things that would be quite abnormal anywhere else. However, we are slowly adjusting to be able to spend money again--or being able to attempt to spend money as I still don't have those beads. It's a very indulgent feeling and makes one feel quite giddy--or that could be the heat as the first part of the week was abysmally hot.

In a fit of sheer rebellion, I ordered the 2009 refill for my day planner. I know it is 2008, and yes, I do make my living by selling technology, but I still don't want an electronic device telling me what to do. If I am ever in need of a pacemaker, fine--I will learn to take orders from a device, or at least my heart will--but until that time, give me paper any day. Now there are two boxes on their way to me--I am positively quivering in anticipation!

I remember as a child wanting a specific toy--the two I remember most was a Johnny-West type horse with movable limbs and a thing called Fashion Plates (which I would link to if they didn't keep coming up as "vintage" toys) which I thought would greatly spiff up the clothes I regularly designed for my paper dolls. I think I got the Fashion Plates for Christmas or a birthday, so there would have been at least a month of anticipation, and I remember saving up for that horse and the day I was able to buy it. As movable joints could easily be renamed "breakable" joints, the horse wasn't one of the most-played-with toys I ever had, but it was possibly the one I most enjoyed getting. It turns out, the ability to experience the joy of anticipation isn't limited to childhood--maybe only delayed gratification is. Getting to order two skeins of yarn and the anticipation of having it arrive is really marvelous--I feel like a kid again. Of course, as Andy will tell you when I am out of earshot, I tend to be a kid at heart (as well as most of the internal organs--though gall bladders are probably strictly adult), so maybe it isn't that surprising. Still, I'm going to savor the moment a little longer before buying those Goober Goggles.

We also need new furnace filters, but we're saving that for a Date Night.

Back in the Capitalistic World

Who could have imagined that spending $100 could actually be difficult?

Monday I returned to Craft Warehouse to exchange the beads for the right color and discovered that they are currently out of the right color. As the most intelligent thing I could get out of the young clerk was "Huh?" I have no idea if being out of this color is a temporary or permanent state of affairs.

I haven't yet had time to go to the Swim & Run Shop for my Goober Goggles, but the pool at my gym is in the process of being repaired anyway, so I guess it isn't urgent. Still, it's a chance to buy something after 3 months of retail abstinence....

As I have so little to show for it, it doesn't really feel like the ban is over. The yarn has shipped, though, and when a box shows up at my door with yarn, THEN it will definitely feel like the ban is over!

We Were Away

This weekend we actually went to Baker City, Oregon, to stay at the Grand Geiser Hotel--which will be detailed in tomorrow's entry. So, my shopping took a little bit of a back-seat (after placing my yarn order at 6:00 AM--I do have my priorities), but I was able to find two yarn needlescomplete with a carrying case, so obviously everyone else loses them as well--$4.95. Then I found this in a used bookstore for $2.00.

It was written in the early 1950s with graduating seniors in mind, and says in the introduction that they have been taught facts and that now it is time to learn to think and have well-thought-out opinions, and presents 4 essays with 4 different points of view on topics ranging from writing well to motion pictures to collectivism vs. individualism. The topics are perhaps a bit outdated--atomic age, Communism--but I love the very thought of this book. Could you imagine people forming their opinions through thoughtful research and reflection instead of from 30-second sound bytes and knee-jerk reactions? Well, neither can I to be honest, but I think it would indeed be wonderful. This is my next book to read. $2.

Years ago I started collecting Christmas ornaments from places I had been--after first trying sweatshirts, which got expensive, then coffee mugs, which take up space and eventually made their way to the Idaho Youth Ranch. The hotel had a Christmas ornament available--9.00

and as Andy and I both love to cook, we went "half-sies" on a cookbook featuring recipes from hotel restaurants throughout Oregon. $12.50.

And on the way home, we did stop to get my beads, only to get home and discover

I got the wrong color. I have been using "Amethyst" and came home with "Light Orchid." I'll be trying that one again on my lunch hour. $2.65--sort of.

So far I have spent $41.67 of my $100, which should leave me enough for my Goober Goggles. YAY!

I CAN SHOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really, in general I am not much of a shopper and usually break into open hostility when drug along to the mall on a weekend, but after 90 days of not buying anything but food, it feel marvelous. Wonderful. Refreshing. I'm going to have to see if banning myself from cleaning the house has this sort of effect.....

It's 6:47 AM and through the miracle of the internet, I have spent $10.57 on 2 hanks of yarn to finish this:
which from the picture could be anything--most likely some sort of bag--but it will be a shawl, and when I started it about a year ago, I somehow didn't use the yarn I had purchased specifically for it and which there was enough of, but instead chose a yarn that I had bought for something else & which there was not enough of. Guess what I didn't learn until after the spending ban had begun? That was an easy one, wasn't it?

The thrill of entering my credit card number, updating my shipping information because I'm on a year-long yarn buying ban (except if it is to finish a project that I started without knowing I would need to buy more yarn--closing a loophole that I would totally have exploited by now) and hadn't ordered from them in so long that my information was no longer current, and now knowing that sometime in the next few weeks there will be a box outside my door containing yarn....!!!!!!!!! I don't even need to spend the remaining $89.43--I've just had the most satisfying retail experience of my life!

I have achieved a little personal growth--or knowing I will have to be fessing up on the blog later does stop me from doing the really embarrassing once in a while. The website in question offers free shipping on orders over $50. Normally, as it's yarn and I am completely delusional about how fast I can knit, I would have thrown in some yarn for a sweater (they did, in fact, have a hunter green wool that I think would make a nice sweater for Andy--I'm totally selfless if I get to buy yarn), or maybe some sock yarn, or some laceweight yarn because it's small and doesn't take up much space, and to avoid paying $2.99 in shipping costs, I would have purchased another $45-75 in yarn. Whew, money choices like that--I should go into politics!!!!!

$89.43 to go!

Day 98 - MY LAST DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Provided I make it until midnight tonight, I have now gone 90 days without buying anything new!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!

There have been 2 exceptions: the mouse bait, which we viewed as a necessity somewhat above food & shelter, and a new cell phone battery for my cell phone because it is necessary for my work. However, because of the spending ban, I found one for $5 on Ebay rather than going to a store & probably ending up with a new phone because extra batteries are almost as much as a new phone. So it still saved me a lot of money.

And what are we doing with all this extra money? Savings. One of my goals is for us to have one year of living expenses set aside "just in case," so that's what we're working on now. So our spending habits, while not as draconian as they have been, will continue to be pretty strict. In return, I'm also setting aside money for us to go on a cruise next fall. It's been much easier to save for the big things when we stopped buying little things.

One thing that we have been talking about purchasing is a pressure cooker. (After the pumpkin butter incident, doesn't that just make you nervous?)

But of course, the big news for this weekend is:Joann's is having a sale!!!!!

Day 97 - So I've Been Thinking.....

Friday is my last day on the spending ban, so technically if I stayed up until 12:01 AM on Saturday, I could start online shopping then......A very worthy thought and well worth considering.....

We're finally getting lots of tomatoes!!!! Canning attempts will be posted for your amusement in about 2-3 weeks. Right now they're still enough of a novelty that we're pretty much eating all of them as they ripen. The cucumbers have far outstripped us and we're giving full sack loads to anyone who comes over--with or without their permission. If we have to, one of us distracts guests with a garden tour while the other one breaks into their car and plants a few sacks of cucumbers. They drive away grateful that we didn't plant zucchini....

Admittedly, we might be taking the gardening thing a bit too far. Tonight Andy actually said, "Today there was steam coming out of the compost bin--that's really exciting."

Obviously, we need to get out more.

Day 96 - It Would Still Be Cheating

We have decided that it would really be cheating if I asked Andy to pick up something at the store because his spending ban is over and mine isn't. It's amazingly easy to be quite firm with rules pertaining to something that doesn't matter in the slightest.

The latest issue: The insane volume of pumpkin butter I made on Sunday should be frozen. No matter how full that cupboard may seem, we just don't have THAT many small plastic containers. It might seem like it at times, but we just don't. So, our options were to 1.) Have Andy, freely spending man that he is, go get containers that "we" want, or 2.) bite the bullet and find another way to do this.

I am good under pressure. And faced with two stockpots full of cooked, spiced squash. At first I kept thinking that it wouldn't work to put it in two dozen Ziploc baggies because it would be really hard to scoop out later, and then it hit me: FREEZE IT IN THE BAGGIES, AND HAVE THE SENSE TO PULL IT OUT OF THE BAGGIES WHEN IT'S STILL FROZEN AND MOVE IT TO ANOTHER CONTAINER TO THAW.

Sometimes, I can be brilliant. Not when it would clue me in that 4 pumpkins cannot possibly cook down enough to make 3 8-ounce jars of any particular substance, but at least it kicks in occasionally.

Day 95 - I'm Almost There!!!!!!

I have 3 days left on my spending ban (remember I have 8 extra days for that darn mohair), and I'm starting to slow down when I drive past shops. I'm looking at the catalogs being delivered to our house--well, except for the motorcycling and woodworking ones, but by Friday......I've browsed Amazon's website. I've checked the balance on my personal "allowance" account (we each have an allowance every month that is automatically transfered into private accounts--it beats having to explain why a woman really does need 10 pairs of black shoes). I flipped through the newspaper ads left in the breakroom today.

My list so far:

* 2 hanks of yarn to finish a shawl currently in progress
* a silver button/clasp of some sort for a sweater that I finished but that still needs a button
* earplugs for swimming
* new Goober Goggles
* a new yarn needle
* beads to finish a beaded edging on a sweater that's almost done. Obviously, when I can't shop, I get a lot of knitting done.
* if I have money left, something totally frivolous that I see at the checkout counter!!!!!!! Hey, there's always a use for Superglue!

It's probably a really good thing we set that $100 limit.........

PS. I noticed as I was flipping back in posts to the beginning of our ban that I seem to have completely forgotten that May and July would have 31 days instead of 30, so I originally had Andy's ban ending on August 10 and mine on August 18. Obviously, when one is suffering from retail deprivation, math skills are the first thing to go....

Day 93 - The Garden

Today started brilliantly. The weather was cooler all morning--which was a wonderful change--and Andy came in with our first really good tomato harvest,then I found some cucumbers that should have been picked a week ago, but haven't turned yellow yet.
Then we (I) decided we (we) should make something with our pumpkin crop. I had borrowed a recipe book from the library that had a recipe for pumpkin butter, which sounded promising. We discovered that anything involving pureed pumpkin really isn't safe to can, but it would be okay to freeze. So, I picked a recipe that said it would produce 3 8-ounce jars of pumpkin butter. That sounded like a good amount.

It called for 4 medium-sized squash/pumpkins, peeled, seeded, and cubed. There are no pictures of that part, as we're not ready to laugh about that yet. I'll just say it involved 2 hours, almost every knife we own, one of Andy's woodworking saws, and I think we'll be finding pumpkin seeds in the kitchen for another week.

Fruit "butters" cook down a great deal, so while I was surprised that 4 pumpkins would produce 3 jars, I was willing to believe the recipe--presumably someone who writes a cookbook knows what he/she is doing. It now seems that there are some other possibilities--the author can just have a mean streak, might not be able to do math, or there was a typo and it was really meant to be 30 jars. It filled 2 stockpots:
I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that it did turn out really well. On the one hand, I'd hate to spend 6 hours making something that we didn't like, but on the other hand, it's a bit unfortunate that you both really like something that you plan to never make again. Of course, depending on how long this stuff can last in the freezer, we aren't going to need to think about that for a while--possibly years.

Day 92 - Andy Went Shopping Today

Even though yesterday was officially Andy's "free to spend" day, it was also a "work day" and a "dinner plans with friends" day, so he didn't actually get to spend money until today. I can't believe the entire world doesn't revolve around our bizarre experiments!

His list:Extra coffee travel mugs to use in the garage when he's doing wood working projects.
Manly magazines--makes sense as the only magazines we subscribe to are Cooking Light and Cook's Illustrated, and I wouldn't call either of those exactly "manly." The poor man has probably been suffering from a little estrogen overload lately.The 4th Harry Potter movie. While we have decided that most movies we can just borrow from the library, there are some "favorites" that really do qualify as "must own."
Twine. Just 'cause.
Plastic forks because if we keep showing up with just spoons people will stop picnicking with us.A bunch of screws that we must need for something.Sandpaper--obviously, our lists had zero chance of overlapping.Natural wood filler--I think the fake stuff is perhaps less filling...

Two woodworking things, which he did sort of explain but which I will not be able to explain. Which is fair--I'd never make him try to explain anything in the sewing room.

And real roses
Just 'cause.

Day 90 - Not Spending is No Longer My Biggest Problem

Andy's spending ban ends tonight--mine ends next Friday. However, I would gladly extend mine another month to be finished with
The vet (who was probably chuckling to himself the entire time) said to give Calisto one and a half doses (syringes full of pink bubble-gum scented goo that I shoot into her mouth) twice a day for a week or until the medicine is all gone. Don't let the size of that bottle deceive you--it's WAY bigger than it seems. I've been good & only slopping a little over the sides, but it's still only half empty. Calisto's cough does seem to be getting better--or it might just be that it's hard to tell as she is now fleeing for cover whenever she glimpses me. This really might last until Sunday--let's hope it ends before one of us runs away from home.

Day 89 - Andy Has One Day Left

Friday Andy will be able to buy anything he wants--or at least up to $100. I have promised myself to be warm, loving and supportive and to not grumble too much that one of us is still deprived of retail therapy.

Maybe I'll spend my last shopping-deprived week figuring out what to do with 30+ pumpkins...
So far I've found recipes for pumpkin flour, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin butter, pumpkin waffles, baked pumpkin, pumpkin muffins, and if Andy hasn't fled in squashed-induced terror by them, we can always freeze pumpkin puree.

Thank heavens it wasn't 2 zucchini plants--I think that would have been grounds for divorce.

Day 88 - We'll Be So Glad To Be Consumers Again

Since we had 90 days of not buying anything new to endure, we've basically been taking every catalog that arrived and depositing it straight into the recycling bin. No sense in useless temptation. Since we're so close to being done, however, tonight I flipped through a baking catalog that arrived.

SO tempting!

First we have square biscuit cutters
for those who are unable--or have forgotten how--to cut on a grid.

Or how about a peanut butter and jelly knife for children who don't want to get peanut butter in the jelly
and aren't smart enough to figure out to use two knives.

Or how about an onion keeper?
Which seems to be an acrylic bowl with a lid that costs 3 times as much as an acrylic bowl with a lid that isn't an onion keeper.

Well thank goodness we'll be free to buy things again. Look what we've been missing!

Day 86 - We're So Close!!!!!

It's a good thing we have already agreed on the $100 limit. As the spending ban nears the end, the temptation for a spending spree is almost overwhelming. My credit card is trembling in fear....

Day 85 - Andy's Making a List

On Friday, Andy will receive $100 in cash to spend on anything he chooses, and I will be taking another look at the mohair shawlto remind myself why 8 extra days of a spending ban was worth it.

August 16 is my day, and my list so far:
* new Goober Goggles
* earplugs for swimming
* a package of large sewing needles for use on sweater seams when I can actually persuade myself to sew sweater pieces together--I seem to be down to one, or more accurately, I can currently only locate one.

It doesn't sounds like much, but it is terribly exciting at this point.

And the results are in from our experiment in canning garlic:
We hate it.

Luckily, we gave some to a friend who positively loves it and already finished her jar. Well, that's handy. She gets a Christmas gift we know she'll love, and we'll get our pantry space back.

We'll be attempting pickles soon, and hoping someone somewhere will like the results!

Day 84 - Add Plastic Forks to the List

We met up with friends last night for a picnic and concert at the Idaho Botanical Gardens. It was great fun, the music was good, and we did pretty well on the food for the picnic, but it feels a bit odd passing around miss-matched paper plates and plastic spoons to everyone--especially when the food called for forks and knives.

6 (14) more days, and our friends can quit thinking we're insane. The countdown is on!!!

Day 83 - I "Browsed" Today!!!!!

Since the spending ban began, I've pretty much avoided all retail establishments--sort of for the same reasons that one would generally not hang out at a bakery while on a diet. OK, I've been to the grocery store, but it's not the same. I'm allowed to buy food and let's face it, it's hard to have an emotional response to buying vegetables (aside from perhaps "ick" over brussel sprouts).

Today during lunch I took a quick trip through Barnes & Noble.

Oh! My! Goodness!

I browsed audio books, cookbooks, magazines, the clearance table--it was fabulous! And I might have achieved some personal growth, as there wasn't anything I felt any great longing for, and I walked out without buying anything and still feeling exhilarated.

We'll know I've achieved real "personal growth" when I can browse Joanns without incident.....

Day 82 - Now Things Are Starting To Go

8 days left for Andy, 16 for me, and we need a new ink cartridge for the printer. I think we can survive, but as we both use the printer we have to decide if that has to wait until I can buy things or if it can be replaced while only Andy can buy things. Decisions, decisions.

That's the problem with being able to make up your own rules--it's harder to break them knowing you're the one who came up with them in the first place.

Day 81 - We Can Almost Buy Things!!!!

Andy has 8 days left; I have 17. And then we can buy things.

Oh. My. Goodness. That is such an exciting thought!

It's not really buying anything in particular, though a new set of Goober Goggles and the yarn to finish this shawlare first on my list. After that I don't care, but I am going to walk through a store just knowing I can buy something if I want to do so.

It's so exciting--I have chills just thinking about it.

Not to lose our heads entirely, I have transfered the extra money we've saved the last 80 days into several savings accounts--one for vacations, one for home projects, one for legal fees (to continue to cope with an ex wife who just can't accept the fact that she doesn't matter to either of us and thinks racking up legal bills might make her important somehow), retirement accounts for both of us, and a medical savings account. The amount we have saved over the last 80 days has really been amazing, proving how much we have been spending that we didn't need to spend. If I were an idiot, I'd suggest that we do a 90-day spending ban each year to save money, but I'm just too excited about new Goober Boggles to consider it just now.

We're almost there!!!!!!