The end of SAP

I'm ending this project early, for one reason:

Spending all my time trying to make extra money so that I don't have to change how I spend is really eating away my soul. Like, seriously... I've become more consumer-focused than before. My quality of life is suffering from doing all these odd-ball things online to make money, so while November was a success money-wise (yes I know I didn't post it) it was probably my least successful month as a HUMAN.

I'm taking this month to evaluate where I want to be and how I want to get there. Obviously I need to make change, but the change I was making wasn't the one I needed.

I did get my credit card down to $900, so at least it hasn't been a total loss.

College has been overwhelming

I haven't given up, I just need some free time! I'll do my best to have an update by Friday.

My dirty little secret...

Part of being a Spoiled American means not appreciating what I already have.

egads!

Now that I have a good system down for cutting out unnecessary clutter (unless I go out and earn the money), I need to focus on taking care of what I have.

My grandmother never left anything messy like this. She grew up during the Great Depression, where stuff just wasn't available. I have the opposite problem. I am drowning in stuff. To make matters worse, I live with my dad and step-mom, so I only have a tiny bedroom. Not that I'm complaining, it's just that I have more stuff than can fit in here comfortably.

My next step is to take care of the stuff I own, and get rid of my extra stuff. Now that I appreciate how much it costs to buy new things, this shouldn't be "one thing out the door, two more in" situation.

Look for weekly clutter updates. I'm again heading into uncharted territory, so please give me feedback...

What is the Spoiled American Project?

I was sitting around one day, upset that I live paycheck to paycheck. There's really no reason for me to do this. I have enough money each month to live comfortably, but I got used to buying whatever I wanted. Of course, that was before divorce and the recession.

http://freerangestock.com

The problem is, I keep spending as if I have the same amount of disposable income. Some months are fine. Some months, I use my credit card. Right now, I have around $1900 on my credit card. I also owe around $9000 on my car. But I'm sick of debt. I'm sick of spending money mindlessly. I'm sick of equating happiness with things.





So this is my project:

• All money from my primary source of income (VA disability and the post-911 GI bill) will only be used for essentials.
• If I want anything else, I must pay for it out of some sort of secondary income, i.e. a part time job, freelance writing, Swagbucks, uPromise, etc.

This is how I define essentials. I know it's going to seem extravagant, but I'm a spoiled American. I consider certain things necessary that really aren't required for my life to continue:

• Rent
• Anything associated with maintaining my automobile: I live in Arkansas and there is no way possible I can use the public transportation system here. It's not feasible at all. If I were in Seattle, D.C., or New York, I would use public transportation.
• Anything required for my education
• Any healthcare expenses
• Food: this is limited to food I can buy at the grocery store, excluding luxury items like gourmet cheeses, meat over $3/pound, single-serving packages, TV dinners and the like, and ready-to-eat foods.
• Household cleaning supplies that I actually use (and I know the ones I do use)
• Health and beauty items that I actually use. I don't wear perfume or cosmetics, and I don't dye my hair, so I don't count these at all.
• Clothing - but only IF I need to replace something I already have that is not fit to wear.

YOU can help me by cheering me up, giving me feedback, or using any of my referral links to make purchases or earn money yourself. If you want to join me, feel free. You can make changes as you deem necessary. I don't copyright ideas.