Happy Tax Day! Last Month’s credit card statements are in, and, here we go:
First off, last month I said I needed to watch my Amazon spending, and I happily report I did just that! In March, I made only two purchases on Amazon: one necessary and the other a gift.
My mom asked for that book, and I always do her bidding.
I know Bed, Bath and Beyond carry the Simple Human trash liners, but I couldn’t find any in the right size at the physical store I frequent so I went on Amazon. I prioritize buying in person when possible.
Not only was this all in terms of buying from Amazon, this was all my online shopping! Period!
Other purchases I made include:
March 15 — $1,422.79, at IKEA — I flew out to California (where my dog nephew kept me company!) to sign the lease on my parents’ new apartment. I spent a few days setting up the place. I bought a bed and mattress as their current place uses a futon in the guest room that will become the 2-seater sofa in their new, larger space. I picked up two more bookshelves as we’re leaving behind two flimsy, falling apart ones. I also sprang for the delivery (more $) as I didn’t have anyone who could help me move the heavy, large pieces.
March 16 — $15.98, at Goodwill — I bought two mugs so I could stop relying on single use beverages during my stay. I bought some organizers for closets and drawers as my parents had nearly none. I wouldn’t say these were impulse buys or unnecessary purchases… I’m actually including them for positive reasons. I’ve wanted to transition into buying more secondhand and in person to really hone my selectiveness with my purchases. I’m happy to make a start.
March 16 — $318.99, at Target — I bought my parents a TV so that when cable and internet were installed later this day, I could verify functionality. This was not strictly necessary, as I could’ve waited until their Pennsylvania TV arrived in California and went from there. However, I wanted to check all the utilities off the list so that when I returned, I could focus on coordinating the movers, organizing and unpacking. I decided it was worth $300ish to 1) get my parents a second TV, and 2) let myself enjoy the relief of completely checking an item off my To Do List.
March 17 — $16.00, at Goodwill — This was a different location that was on my way back from meeting a friend of my mom’s in downtown LA. I bought two lawn chairs (their current place does not have outdoor space). I also picked up two small planters that were not exactly necessary, but I plan to pick out some plants with my dad. Y’all know how I feel about plants. I appreciate them.
March 17 — $38.77, at Target — I bought the few items I could not find at Goodwill such as shower curtain and liner. Side note: I was lucky enough to be able to raid my aunt Irene’s place for things like laundry detergent and other household items, or this Target trip would have cost more.
March 18 — $11.65, at I Love LA Terminal — I remember exactly what I bought because of the shame: gummy bears, pretzel chips, and a sudoku book. The Financial Diet is right (again), the airport markup is unreasonable. I also bought trash instead of sustenance, and I never finish these puzzle books, so why on Earth?! I have no excuse really; regrettably, I slipped up.
Overall though, I think I did pretty okay this month. I made 2 online shopping “trips”, down from 5 (60% decrease) in February and 8 (75% decrease!) in January when I started this whole thing, neither trips were impulse buys to boot!
My only 100% impulse buy/unnecessary purchase was the $11.65 I spent at the airport. I remember distinctly wanting to reward myself for the hectic days preceding, so I wanted to do something that was purely, unjustifiably bad i.e. buy some horribly marked up junk food. I suppose I should be more vigilant and wary of my equating airport candy with a substantive reward. Still, I had a good run, and I can’t wait to see how I do in April!