Still here

OK, I'm a bad blogger.  Slap my wrist.  But honestly, I didn't realize it had been quite this long since I've posted.  Whoops and sorry!

We're still going strong - or I guess I should say we're doing the best we can.  Last weekend (or 2 weekends ago) we went out bowling and for dinner with some friends from Alex's work.  It had been in the works since before we decided we weren't buying, and so I invoked the "Don't be a jerk" clause and we went.  And, while it wasn't exactly in the plan, I'm really glad we did.  It's kind of like dieting I think.  If you keep depriving yourself, you'll eventually end up pigging out from all that repressed desire for a treat.  But if you allow yourself a little treat every once in a while, you're more likely to stick to your diet for the long haul.  At least, I think the philosophy goes something like that.  Where's Jillian Michaels when I need her?

Point is - we had a little bit of fun (Bowling and sushi - not an expensive evening out by any means) and now we're ready to keep on doing what we're doing.  At the end of the year, if this blog ends up being "Alex and Kayla didn't buy fast food, clothes, or crap from Target for a year" I'm going to feel proud.

What we're doing

Several of you have commented saying you'd be curious to know how we're filling up our time since we're not going out to movies and dinner and whatever.  I'll be honest and say I don't have a super interesting answer for you!  Before we started this project, we weren't really on-the-go all the time, so that hasn't really changed.  I work and go to school, and Alex works 2 jobs, so our free time is actually very limited.  If anything, I sort of feel like I have less free time because I'm cooking so much more!  But, I love that, so it doesn't bother me. 

I have been working out more, I think mostly due to the fact that I haven't been eating out, so I don't feel like crap.  It's been a nice change!  Other than that though, it's working, cooking, studying, reading, walking dogs, visiting our families, blogging, hanging out with each other, cleaning up the kitchen from all the cooking, and sleeping.

I'm planning on doing a week soon where I don't watch cable.  (Because Alex works for the cable company, we kept cable because we don't pay for it.)  But, because most people doing this project would surely do without, I'm going to try it too.  Not this week, but soon.  I'll keep you posted!  (If this doesn't seem difficult - trust me.  We are TV PEOPLE.  It might just kill me.)

Sticking with it

Today on my drive home I realized that this is the longest I have ever stuck with a resolution of any kind - New Year's or otherwise.  Now, 2 weeks of sticking with it definitely doesn't earn me a metal, but at the same time, it feels like an achievement.

For my entire life, I have been the type of person who makes plans and then falls through with them.  When I was younger on summer break, I used to make hour-by-hour schedules for the day so that I would be productive (Yes, it's very The Great Gatsby but that was long before I ever read that book. . .)  Of course, being 12 years old or so, I never stuck with the schedule.  I think I just liked the planning aspect.  When I was probably 14, I vowed to stop watching TV because an older boy I had a HUGE crush on didn't watch TV.  That lasted about a weekend.

Embarrassing stories aside, I love to make resolutions.  I think most people do actually.  Haven't we all at one time or another dreamed of being a completely different person?  Someone who has it together?  Someone who weighs less?  Someone who has most interesting hobbies or is more popular?  And you think, well, then I'll just become that person!  It won't be hard, just change a few things, and voila!  My whole life will be fantastic!

Obviously, that's not how it works.  But there is something transforming about sticking with a resolution.  You realize that all your fantasies aren't going to come true, but you become a more confident person, someone who believes in themself (which is such a cliche but something I struggle with), so the fantasty life doesn't matter as much anymore.  You're happy just doing your thing.

Meltdown day

Poor Alex, it has been meltdown town (get it?) around here today.  It really truly has nothing to do with the not buying, I think just school, work, tired, etc. all happened to converge on today to make it very UGH. 

Latest meltdown happened less than 10 minutes ago when the super awesome chicken I was making for dinner (From scratch, per what I'm trying to do!) didn't cook in the amount of time it was supposed to, but everything else I made for dinner did.  So, I stuck the chicken in the oven and removed myself from the kitchen for a few minutes, and here I am.  I intended to update last night, but got totally distracted by American Idol.  Take that, Terri!  :-)

So far, I have to say, not buying has not been too painful.  We are right now trying to decide plans for a trip to Boston we're taking in the fall for one of my best friend's wedding.  Never having been to Boston, or New England, we're wanting to take advantage of the trip and sightsee a little bit, but want to keep as true to our plan as possible.  We've already decided that we're driving, to be more economical, and will plan on doing as much free sightseeing as we can.  We're hoping to take a little side trip to Niagara Falls as well!  Everyone should see it, right??

OK, writing has put me in a better mood.  Trust me, Alex will be grateful.

Oh, and here's a pic of the awesome chicken, before I realized the inside wasn't done at all and it had to go in the oven!

Through the weekend

So, while this is actually our second weekend not buying, it's the first weekend we've had time off and would have been able to spend money if we had wanted to. (But we didn't . . .)

It seems to me that everyone spends more money on the weekends. On some level, I think there is a cultural pressure that you're supposed to be out doing something Friday or Saturday (Call it "Date Night" if you will . . .) Saturdays at the mall are packed. And then, there's Sunday brunch out, which we love, and I truly like breakfast food best when eaten at a restaurant. There is just something about those diner-style pancakes! Yum! I can't get results like that at home!

OK, I digress.

This weekend, we experienced the fun of staying at home, vegging out, reading, cooking, napping. It's been great. Of course, I'll enjoy experiencing those pancakes at Wild Eggs again, but I bet not having them for a while will make them even better!!