Sad but true, I've had a rough couple of weeks and my emotional consumer has broken loose and I need to contain her.
We are now at Day 9 of our new Program and its certainly been a tough 9 days... forcing medication into children, learning new recipes, convincing kids to eat (still struggling immensely with this one), and of course dealing with the many side effects of our new medication regime...
As a result I have not been as on top of things as I like to be and yesterday whilst out with a friend looking for clothes for her I spotted Organic Cotton T Shirts at Big W and without very many second thoughts (my pledge crossed my mind and went out equally as quickly), I was at the checkout paying $29 for two shirts.... OK so its not a huge amount and I do have 2 new organic cotton T's and I have been needing T's, but its not the point - my emotions got the better of me and I bought. Earlier in the week I read about a great deal from an online retailer giving discounts and free shipping and so I also bought some Organic Bamboo Bed Linen for $50 - again not an enormous amount, an environmentally friendly choice and something we need, but not something so in need that could justify my wanton spending without consideration.
So, how do you cope when you have an overwhelming urge to purchase and the thoughts of your Consumption Challenge aren't enough to curb the urge?
I am not even going to report in on my last fortnightly analysis... again, groceries were just ridiculous and I am honestly too embarrassed to admit what we spent.
There is some good to come of the past 9 days though - my grocery costs have become ridiculously small! I am still spending a considerable amount on meat, but the total so far this fortnight is much less than any other fortnight to date and meat is really the only thing I can buy commercially.
I'm definitely feeling the urges to spend more at the moment whilst I am under extra emotional stress so I'm hoping that a couple more weeks into our program things will have settled down and these urges will have dissipated.
Oh and there has been one considerable purchase - we have ordered a new laptop - this PC is on its last legs and we need a computer so after almost 2 weeks weighing up the pro's and con's of all the available laptops we have ordered one that should arrive early next month.
Hopefully I'll have a more positive post next time...
Love
Theresa
Making the most of seasonal produce
11 years ago
5 comments:
Oh dear, it sounds like you're having a tough time of it. Don't beat yourself up.
It's good that you're aware of your emotional spending, so be kind to yourself while you work through all the stresses in your life. Are there things you can do to relive stress? Nice bath after the kids are in bed? Can you try to avoid going to shopping centres when you're stressed?
I hope your 'program' goes well and you start to settle into all the changes from that.
((hugs))
Hey don't be too hard on yourself! I too have put my hand up to buying 2 organic t-shirts at Big W and then totally blew it by buying myself a bag from Nice Knickers to put my quilting stuff in. Yes, it was a second and I was making do with a grocery bag which meant that DD2 could get to the scissors easily, but I really couldn't justify it. I thought I'd put it away for Mothers day, but that was too far away, so I changed it to Easter, then decided to just get over it and start using it. I love it!! Sounds like you are having a lot of changes and challenges, and hell, I don't think you should beat yourself up over 2 t-shirts and a bamboo sheet set (which sounds like a total bargain by the way). You are still consuming WAY less than your average family and are aware of your consumption - so you go girl!!!!!!!
Awww Theresa. It does get really really tough at times of stress. The great thing though is that you are aware that you are using buying as a way to deal with your emotions.
For me, I needed to find better alternatives to dealing with stress. I learned to get my "highs" by learning how to sew and creating "something". I became addicted to one hour crafts instead.
And when worse came to worse and I "needed" to buy, rather than go to the large stores, I went op shopping instead. I found I got the same high out of finding and buying a great op shop item for $5 rather than buying a department store item for $10.
As for getting caught up in the "hype" which is what the bamboo sheet set sounded like, I think the thing is that rather than reading or hearing something and buying right away, try to say, I will buy it after my cup of tea. And after your cuppa, if you still want it then go ahead and buy it. Chances are though, that 90% of the time if you wouldn't want it anymore after your cuppa.
Hugs and I hope that you guys find an even ground soon as you adjust to this phase in your lives.
Thank you so much you lovely wise ladies!
I made another discovery today... I have actually swapped my emotional eating of chocolate/dairy type foods for shopping due to all the dietary changes I've had to make because of my OWN issues. So I have really just swapped one evil for another. The bamboo linen was part hype/part need/part just wanting a fix... yes the hype of the sale made me actually go and look (which I don't think I even would have had I not been in the state I was) which led to me finding something I did actually need... a viscous cycle really...
We had a really good day today with Emma eating so that is giving me loads of encouragement and given a real boost that I badly needed. Eilleen you are so right though that I need to find the right outlet for my emotions - I just need to do some searching!
Although saying that today I did cut out an apron for the girls and I and a few other things so hopefully I can get some sewing done in times of high-stress at it always does calm me down.
Thanks for not making me feel like I should stay in the dirt behind the wagon!
Hey you are doing great. It's a bump. And goodness me a bump is nothing compared to the mountain it 'could' have been. You are aware of what happened, you haven't ignored it.
You've got this huge eating thing atm you are having to deal with with the girls. It is a HUGE thing, and it's gonna take it's toll.
I agree you need to find another outlet. One you are happy with and enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, you aren't going to do it.
I've seperated myself from the computer atm. It's my downfall LOL I'm not focusing on what I should properly if I'm on here. So I've ditched it alot, cut down my time by a good 50% :)
The groceries thing. You need to realise YOUR shopping trip is alot different to other people. You have alot of stuff you are unable to buy the 'cheaper' version of, and that you have to buy a specific brand/type of. That makes a HUGE difference. Just swapping Benji over to soy/rice milk has upped our shopping by a good $21 a week. Now if I changed everything he eats to what your girls have to eat... well it'd go up by quite more. Groceries are ridiculously priced, it's got nothing to do with buying yourself a treaty or two.
Eilleen I'm so glad you're in this ring... you have learnt so much in the past 18 months or so, and it's great how much of what you've learnt you pass on :)
My apologies if I'm not making sense LOL Benji is yelling at me while I try to type!!
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