We are told over and over again that Shopping = Stuff = Happiness. But does it really? Should it?
I for one just don't buy it...hence this blog following my quest to overcome my shopaholic tendencies to become a more conscious and sustainable consumer.


Sunday, November 28

Thursday - Sunday Damages (11/25 - 11/28)

Thursday
  • $0
Friday
  • $30.60 - Shell
  • $6.93 - CVS (glue to fix the ornament my dad knocked off the tree and broke...mom was not impressed)
Saturday
  • $27.60 - Natick Liquor (Wine)
Sunday
  • $20.23 - Trader Joe's
  • $20 - Rue La La (present for Aaron)
Exciting news, the Trader Joes in Framingham now carries wine. YES! Three buck chuck is just a much more economical choice for my undiscerning taste buds. Too bad I just stocked up on wine and that we were there before noon on Sunday...so no wine to be sold :(

So I can tell you what I bought for Aaron, because I talked him into buying me this...

And then decided that maybe he wanted one too, his patriots shirts are looking a little tired these days so I thought it might be time for an update. So here's the one he got...

A little old school flare for the both of us, we'll have to be careful not to wear them at the same time...that would be a little much.

    Wednesday, November 24

    Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Damages (11/22 - 11/24)

    Monday
    • $0
    Tuesday
    • $3.00 - Dunkin Donuts (Iced Coffee)
    • $198 - BuyWithMe (Laser Hair Removal...continuing my pursuit of never shaving again)
    Wednesday
    • $0
    Also I made an omission in my Christmas expenditures from the weekend. I also purchased a slue of Krinkles ornaments. It a tradition in my family to give ornaments as gifts and since I'm obsessed with Patience Brewster I usually give her Krinkles as gifts. I spent about $187 on ornaments (some I purchased for Aaron to give as gifts to my family, which all evens out in the wash when he gets some of the joint gifts for his family), here are some of the ones I got.

     The adorable dachshund.

    Joyful pig.

    Vixen of Santa's reindeer.

      Monday, November 22

      Terrifically Awesome Idea

      So the concept I'm about to present to you is one that came up pretty consistently during my time at Antioch. RENTING GOODS! That's right...not buying but renting the things that you "need." I mean really you don't need a lot of the things you use for all that long, because they're either temporary in nature or you want an upgrade/different style/etc. In this case we're talking dresses.


      Today on BuywithMe there was a coupon for $60 worth of dress rentals for $20 from The Borrowed Dress in the North End. SUCH A GOOD IDEA! I wish I had something I needed a new dress for, but I have enough to get me through the next year...most likely longer.

      I wonder if they have these services for other things, like baby stuff. I am at that age where a lot of my friends and many of my cousins are starting up families and I have to say one of the things that strikes me most is that kids require an enormous amount of stuff. I mean a ton of it. Do they have a rental service for baby stuff? I mean how long do you really need a stroller, car seat, etc. etc.? Why not rent it?

      Weekend Damages

      Saturday
      • $9.18 - Stop and Shop (couple of two liters for lunch with Court, Aaron and Aaron)
      • $38.58 - the Body Shop (countless Christmas presents)
      • $85 - Pandora (beads for various Christmas presents)
      I made out like a bandit at The Body Shop during my outing to the mall with Court. Not only did I have my two $40 vouchers from Groupon but I also won $20 off my purchase with a ticket thing they gave me when I walked in the door. PLUS I have a Body Shop member card thing, which got me another 10% off my purchase. Bonus!

      Sunday
      • $24.41- Bed Bath and Beyond (wire cooling rack, pastry brush, candy thermometer) 
      • $27.59 - Best Buy (Christmas gifts)
      • $30- Aaron (my portion of some joint Christmas presents)
      • $25 - Groupon Chicago
      I know what you're wondering...why did I spend money on a Groupon for Chicago? I live in Boston! Well friends, this particular coupon was good for $50 worth of merchandise (for $25) at any location of Nordstrom Rack, and you see there's a Rack right down the street. I have a hard time turning down deals like this. 

      So needless to say it was a weekend filled with many purchases, but the majority were for others, so that should count for something.

      Sunday, November 21

      Thursday & Friday Damages (11/18 - 11/19)

      Thursday
      • $545 - Town Fair Tire (4 new tires, ugh)
      • $2.19 - Dunks (much needed coffee)
      • $390.76 - RueLaLa (most awesome poster ever)
      • $71.03 - Pet World (Christmas toys for the pups)
      Got those new tires I needed today and while I waited for Veruca to get her new kicks, I wandered around the surrounding stores and did a bit of Christmas shopping. Oh yeah and I managed to buy an expensive vintage poster, which I've already posted about.

      Kind of an expensive day...and it was supposed to consist of me sitting around waiting for a hot water tank to be installed, alas the maintenance men in the complex haven't mastered the fine art of using a tape measure and didn't realize that the tank wasn't coming out of its home in the closet b/c it was too wide until they got here (mind you this was their third visit, ugh). 
        Friday
        • $0

          Thursday, November 18

          SHUT UP!!!

          So THIS was on Rue La La's Ross Art Boutique today...
          So this is a breaking news post....I just spent $390 on this vintage poster for Allary Beer. Yes...Beer. For those of you that don't know, my real name is Allary, not Jack Skellington (so sorry to disappoint).

          So here's the break down....that jolly little fellow is King Gambrinus, the partron saint of beer. Yes that's right there's a patron saint of beer, as there should be. He's holding a giant old school Stella goblet (I love me some Stella). So yeah, it's pretty awesome, AND I NOW OWN IT. Sweet. Happy 30th and Christmas to me.

          Eek, holy impulse buy. Please tell me I'm not insane.

          Wednesday, November 17

          Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Damages (11/15 - 11/17)

          Monday
          • $0
          Tuesday
          • $0
          Wednesday
          • $33ish - Hess
          So today I met my new little sister from the Boy and Girls Club.


          As her big sister I will be responsible for finding fun and fabulous things for she and I to do together. No doubt, this will cost me some cash. BUT I can't think of a more consciousness spending decision. Any and all suggestions for activities for an 8 year old are welcome. Our first outing will be to play tennis. I'm not really the greatest tennis player that ever lived...so this should be interesting it's going to be embarrassing if I get crushed by a 10 year old. Some of my other outing ideas include, sports (any and all of them, perhaps I'll teach her to play field hockey!), hiking, biking, snowshoeing, movies, dinners, etc. She's a sporty kid (does not like dolls, thank you jebus) so I'm thinking that will help me out a bit, but I'm going to need some help here. Please send a little guidance my way.

          In other news from today, I got a flat tire on the Mass Pike, which was SUPER fun! I called AAA who then called the Mass State Police who then called the Mass DOT Highway Assistance people. Super efficient. I have known for some time that I need new tires, but ugh it's such a pain. Well this little incident really drove that fact home. So I will be purchasing 4 new tires either tomorrow or this weekend. Good times, good times.

          Tuesday, November 16

          Weekend Damages (11/13-11/14)

          Saturday
          • $10 - Parking at the Hotel Langham Hotel for Cafe Fleuri
          • $49.54 - CVS (various meds I'll be needing for my India trip)
          What you ask was going on at the Cafe Fleuri? Well every weekend they have a chocolate bar, which is essentially a room designed to completely push you over the edge of sugar overload. Loved it. There were something like 80ish desserts to sample, a chocolate bar (the alcoholic kind), and a DJ (who could have stood to turn the music down a notch, although that just may be me acting old).


          My hands down favorites were the raspberry beignets and the macaroons. I'm not a huge chocolate person so it only makes sense that my favorites weren't chocolate related.









           

          Sunday
          • $0

          Sunday, November 14

          Thursday & Friday Damages (11/11-11/12)

          Thursday
          • $52.86 - Roche Brothers
          Friday
          • $20 - Dillon's Bar 
           Drinks, food and catching up with a friend.

            Wednesday, November 10

            Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Damages (11/8-11/10)

            Monday
            • $9.48 - eReader Library
            So I'm kinda on a roll with the book buying these days. Today I got a couple of random freebies and two sale items, one of which I'll be reading for a book club that a friend of mine is getting started. The book club book is The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford...


            ...and the add on purchase was just such a good deal that I couldn't pass it up. Plus, I've been wanting to read it and it's always checked out of the library.

            Tuesday
            • $0
            Wednesday
            • $48 - Sudbury Animal Hospital (Maggie's follow up test to make sure her UTI is gone...and it IS!!! YAY!)
            • $12.99 - CVS (peppermint patties...for a delicious treat I plan on baking, and an Arizona 1/2 and 1/2)
             Deliciousness.

            Monday, November 8

            Weekend Damages (11/6 - 11/7)

            Friday
            • $0
            Saturday
            • $33.79 - Nick's Pizza
            Sunday
            • $0
            So I should probably mention that although I didn't really spend a lot of money this weekend...Aaron did. We went to Scampo in Boston on Friday night to celebrate the birthday of the other Aaron's birthday (sometimes referred to as "Court's Aaron" or "Frank"), and Aaron ("my Aaron") picked up our portion of the tab. So thanks to Aaron. :)

            But the spending didn't stop there. We also managed to spend Aaron's employee of the year $. I know what you're thinking...you should have saved it, why would you spend it all...not a very conscious decision. BUT remember, this wasn't my money, and keeping the cash wasn't an option...he had to walk away with something tangible. I guess so he can look at the newly purchased goods and think about how wonderful his company for all of eternity. Who knows? I don't try to pretend to understand corporate logic.

            So anyways, back to the point. It was fun, and it was guilt free because really it wasn't me spending it...it was Aaron. Here's what we walked away with...
            • Bose Surround Sound
            • New Computer for his rents for Christmas (nice huh?)
            • XBox game for his little bros for Christmas (also nice)
            • Big Buck Hunter for Wii (all him...I'm a veg after all)
            • Wii Resort Sports (both of us...and wicked fun)
            • Universal Remote (fun touch screen! AND now we don't have 4 remotes...heaven)
            AND now for the most exciting of all!!!!
            • iPad!!!! (for me for Christmas and my soon to follow birthday!!! Nicest of all!!)
            • Camera adapter for the iPad
            • Case for the iPad

            I'm not gonna lie, I'm uber excited for my iPad. SUPER EXCITED! Sadly Aaron won't just let me start using it now. So lame, I know. He's not giving in to all of my pleading and whining either. Ugh.  

              Friday, November 5

              Ominous October

              And the survey says....
              $1,300

              Here's the breakdown:
              Maggie: $415
              Clothing: $210
              Gifts: $176
              Bars/Restaurants: $151
              Randomness: $100
              Groceries: $72
              Gas: $59
              Entertainment: $45
              Coffee: $36
              Health & Beauty: $32
              Snacks: $4

              Well it's happened folks, Maggie has taken over the spending charts. This month marks the first month she's topped out the spending tally. I should add that this is her first month living with us. Let's see if this becomes a trend.

              Also, I think it might be time to get my coffee addiction in check. $36! Woah. If I were a Starbucks girl I could understand this b/c it's damn near $36 for one coffee there, but Dunks....not so much. Not to mention I drink my first coffee of the day at home, which cuts down on the cost of my consumption significantly.

              Monday - Thursday Damages (11/1 - 11/4)

              Monday
              • $70ish - Dentist (stupid cavity)
              Tuesday
              • $0
              Wednesday
              • $30.09 - Hess
              Thursday
              • $71.85 - Barnes and Noble
              • $31.90 - Rue La La (Sir Alistair Rai Boutique)
              I bought a couple of books for the bubs of friends and family today and threw in a couple of books for my own enjoyment. For the bubs I purchased two of my favorite childhood books...

              I got two copies of Rotten Ralph and three copies of The Paperbag Princess. There's a lot of little bubs out there these days.

              And for my own enjoyment....



              These first two clearly are to start to prepare me for my three weeks in India.Lamb, not so much going to prepare me for the culture shock that's sure to be India...it's just one of my favorite rereads. Every time I read this book I still laugh...a lot. I highly recommend it, at least I recommend it so long as you're not some religious zealot. Chances are you won't find it quite as funny. 


              So I'm sure you're wonder about the Rue La La purchase as well...I finally caved to my love for Sir Alistair Rai scarves. Particularly when they're suck a steal...it was $19.90 from $180! Insane bargain! I couldn't resist, granted I didn't try very hard. Anyways, I love it and hope that I'm as obsessed with it in person. This needs to be the last purchase for myself until after Christmas. I have this problem where I end up doing quite a bit of shopping for myself while I'm shopping for others. It's terrible, I know...but I don't think I'm alone here. 


              Thursday, November 4

              Discovery of the Week

              So I was perusing The Clymb today, just checking in for a deal, per usual. AND I made a fascinating discovery...LooptWorks. I had never heard of this company before, but they're doing some pretty cool things. All of their clothing is made of 100% post-consumer materials. Awesome, right! They're motto is "Recycle your Life," which I of course absolutely love. AND they're products are cute to boot! Sadly I have reached my shopping quota for the day and could not allow myself to buy anything else. I will however keep them in mind for future purchases.

              Here's some of the stuff featured on The Clymb.

              Jacket made of recycled organic cotton and organic cotton canvas. 
              $44.98 from $95.00

              Adorb sundress made of modal and spandex.
              $29.98 from $60.00

              So anyways, here's at least one company headed in the right direction. Really when you think of it...it's almost like guilt-free shopping b/c it's not wasteful. Kinda.

              Juuuust A Couple More Resisted Items....


              Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor on Rue La La. $139 from $199.
              This has made its way onto my blog a number of times now. One of these days I am just going to have to buy it

              16 Bottle Wine Cooler on Rue La La. $199 from $365.
              Think of how much MORE delicious my wine would taste if it were stored in one of these bad boys. Logistically though, there's nowhere to even put the thing in the condo.

              Cuisinart Bread Maker on Rue La La. $79 from $129.
              I love bread. Enough said.

              Tadashi Shoji dress on Rue La La. $129 from $318.
              This dress is fabulous, sadly wedding season is over for me this year, otherwise I just might be able to justify it. 

              Disclaimer: This is an old post that I somehow managed to leave unpublished. Sorry for the oversight.