Spend Free 2010

I've discovered something about my blogging habits: my blogging frequency is inversely proportional to my internal stress level. This means that the more stress I'm feeling in my life, the less I want to talk about it. You see, I want this blog to be less a space for ranting and more a place for sharing and uplifting. You would think this is because I want others to be happy, but rest assured, this is more for selfish reasons. You see, I think I'm the one who enjoys reading this blog the most, and when I go back and read it, I want to remember the really good things in life.

Some might consider this willful self-deception, but it isn't. One of the things I'm most grateful for is the ability to see the silver lining in pretty much any given situation. This isn't tooting my own horn; I just find it's a good way to live. And I'm not wholly responsible either; this ability is a direct result of my upbringing (thanks family!)

Try it. See how it feels.

Anyway, I think there's been such a blogging lull because for a teensy while there, I was losing my ability to see the silver lining, and that scared me a lot. But I'm feeling loads better, and I have a new resolution:

Welcome to Spend Free 2010.

For the next two months (minus a belated graduation road trip with Mallory), I'm not doing any frivolous spending. That's right: for the next two months, I'll be cooking everything I eat. And luckily, pretty soon my parents garden will start producing, and they're really good sharers.

I'll watch movies I already own. I'll read books from my collection (there's a lot I haven't read yet) or from the library. And I'll quit talking about writing books and screenplays and actually write them.

If I want a new shirt, I have material to sew it. If I want some new earrings, I'll make them. I have skeins and skeins of yarn, many crochet hooks, and a set of knitting needles I stole from my sister. I have lots of beautiful paper just waiting to be folded, cut, or otherwise manipulated into other beautiful things.

I don't plan on being reclusive (although a lot of social happenings in my area usually revolve around spending money). I do plan on being creative in how I spend my time with others. The most fun I have is when my friends and family get together and take actual time to prepare a meal. There's time for laughing and the food always tastes better.

What do I need from you? I have the world's greatest friends, and I love hanging out with you, but I'm going to ask you to not invite me to activities that require I spend money. I have a hard time saying no, and I don't want to offend anyone, so let's just avoid the situation altogether. If you want to pay my way, man up and ask me on a date.

So, there you have it. For the next two months, I'll spend money on groceries, gas, bills, and other actual necessities. Everything else is going straight to savings. I won't lie: it's going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done. Let's just say this is an experiment born of necessity, and I'm excited to see how it goes.