Stylish Saturday: Spring Haul & Baby Preparation

Alrighty. So here is a video of what I found during our first spring shopping trip. We went to a consignment store, Old Navy and TJ Maxx and Target. I'll include below of everything we got from TJ Maxx since it was mainly necessities for our baby boy. I feel like I've gotten a good start with both of them for Spring. I still have quite a bit of shopping to do. 

I also wanted to share everything that I found while going through Savannah's tubs. I was amazed at how much I'll be able to reuse. I'm very excited about passing these items down to him. Since I've been having some great luck selling Sav's things I plan to use that money to finish off both of their Spring and Summer wardrobe. My next plan of action is to do an inventory of what they have and then make a list of what I'd like them to have and anything else they need. 

half of the TJ Maxx finds

other half of TJ Maxx and his Old Navy finds

Onesies, PJs & Gowns hand me downs 

Jeans, Sweater & Denim jacket hand me downs

Baby Preparation: It Begins

First I want to sincerely thank everyone for all of their advice and motivation over these past couple weeks. It has really meant a lot to me. I finally cracked the lid on her bins this morning. I decided to take it one bin at a time. My plan for selling her things is to group like items, brands or sizes together. This will allow me to do "lot" listings as opposed to selling individual outfits. 

This was the first "lot" that I put together. It was a carter's sleepwear listing. I use eBay as a pricing reference. I listed this "lot" on the yard sale page for my neighborhood and it was sold within thirty minutes. Great, right? I still have a long way to go but at least the ball is rolling. 

I'm gathering all of her shoes before selling any of them. These are all of the shoes I've found so far and I still haven't gone through all of her bins yet. I'm not sure how I'm going to approach selling her shoes. I think I might do a mix of individual listings and "lot" sales.

I will be saving these along with her white "walking" shoes for our baby boy. I had completely forgotten that she even had these. I also found bibs and a couple other things that her brother will be able to use. Yay, for hand me downs!!! Her clothes are in such great condition that I really hate to see them go but I can't keep everything. Our military nomadic lifestyle doesn't really allow you to be a sentimental hoarder. I'll keep some of her things but the majority of it has to go. Tear.

Wish me luck! So far my collective sales total is twenty five dollars. I sold one of my dresses on the yard sale page too. "A dolla makes me holla honey boo boo chile!"

Swiper Noooo Swiping II

Well we made it to November. I can't say it was frustration free but we made it. This month we are staying with our cash only system. This new way of looking at our money spending habits has been so eye opening. In October I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. It's the fourth day of November and I have to say I am confident about conquering this month.

When we filled up our envelopes last month I had so much doubt. At the end of the month when there was still money left in the grocery envelope I felt such a strong sense of achievement. Knowing that I had saved my family money was a great feeling. I know this month will present it's own set of challenges. Thanksgiving is coming up. I'll be buying some food items that I wouldn't normally purchase. Christmas shopping has got to get done and I can already here that "retail devil" on my shoulder telling me to buy Savannah every cute little thing I see.

Luckily, I have come up with some pretty crafty (at least I think they are) ways to keep our spending in check this holiday season. I created a wish list on Amazon full of all the items that we plan to get her for Christmas. I have done price comparisons all over the web. For me, shopping online keeps me out of the stores and away from temptation. Between the decorations and the Christmas music I am a sucker for impulse shopping. When it's time to pull the trigger for her Christmas gifts I'll be going to her pre-made wish list, filling up my shopping cart and checking out. The "retail devil" won't stand a chance.

Yesterday, that "retail devil" was on back hard. I wanted to buy myself some clothes. Instead of heading to the mall with itchy palms I decided to clean out my closet. I organized all the like items together so that I could really see what I had. By the time I got finish doing that not only did I not feel like going shopping but the desire to buy new things had dwindled. I could clearly see in my closet that I had everything that I "needed".

Of course I want to get in on some of the latest trends for the season and now I know exactly which items I'm looking for. I was able to take an inventory and plan how I'm going to spend my money. I built outfits and made a list just like I would if I were meal planning and making a grocery list. This was a huge step for me. I'm learning that it's about more than limiting our purchases to a dollar amount. It's about giving value to the money that I am choosing to spend.

How has everyone else been doing with their switch to a cash only lifestyle?

Swiper Noooo Swiping...

If you are familiar with Dora the Explorer then you know all about the Swiper the Fox. Swiper the Fox steals things from Dora and Boots. It's cute. Luckily the title of my post has nothing to do with stealing. It has everything to do with my family's new approach to spending. No swiping.

Last month we decided to ditch our ATM cards for a cash only lifestyle. I know everyone has heard about the envelope method of spending. You fill envelopes up with money and when the money runs out, that's it. We initially learned about this during Oprah's debt diet years ago. After moving we figured now was as good as time as any for a fresh start with our finances.

                                                                                      Source: oprah.com via Tia on Pinterest

It's only been a couple weeks and I can truly tell we are saving money. My ATM card made life so easy. I never thought about anything. I just swiped. If I wanted to take baby girl out to lunch after a play date I would swipe. If I needed to go to the grocery store I would swipe. Retail therapy, swipe. I was swiping all the time. Using this cash only system has made me really have to think about what I'm buying. Do I really need that new pair of shoes? Or that sweater? Don't I already have something like that? And I've made eating lunch at home a staple in our new routine.

I have to admit that it's been really hard adjusting. I have totally embraced shopping sales and using coupons. Not that I didn't before but now I make it a priority. I actually take the time to plan meals, clip coupons and study the circulars for the best deals. Then I execute. It feels so good watching the total on the register drop when I'm at the cash register. Every little bit helps. 

We hope to add to our family soon and eventually retire when my husband is done with the Army. If this new cash system is going to help us save more money for all that then I'm going to stay on board. Even if it means I have to limit myself and be more disciplined with my money. It's worth it. So this Swiper will be doing absolutely Noooooo Swiping, haha!

Has anyone used this approach toward their finances? How did it work for you? Got any tips for us?