Today I was a bad bad toad....

**Thevail** · 04-16-2009, 02:09 AM

Aaagh! I was doing so well..
I had the super strict budget all balanced,
the bills all paid ahead of time,
the EF growing as it should,
all the extra money going into home improvements..

And then..I got spring fashion fever. I didn't do badly, but I still spent nearly a hundred dollars for no freakin' reason..

Am I the only one who gets the budget boat underway and then torpedoes myself?!?

**Siebrie** · 04-16-2009, 04:09 AM

Can you take the clothes back?

Otherwise: enjoy them whole-heartedly, to get the best out of your spent money!

**NewLeaf** · 04-16-2009, 06:22 AM

I bought myself a pretty spring green shirt just out of the blue!!! And I am going to enjoy it to the max!!!!

**Momto2Boyz** · 04-16-2009, 07:47 AM

It depends on how often you do it. If you only do it rarely, I wouldn't kick yourself about it! I do the same thing, but I only shop for clothes, maybe 2 times per year...spring & fall.

Don't worry too much about it, just don't do it again for a while!

**miss_thrifty** · 04-16-2009, 08:17 AM

beating yourslf up isnt helping. and u wont enjoythe clothes then and guilt will set in.
enjoy them and try not to spend again for awhile anyways. we all fall off the bandwagon at times. it happens to all of us.

**Judi Dial** · 04-16-2009, 08:22 AM

Yeah, I'd say give yourself a break too. If you're aware of what you did then that's like 1/2 the battle, right? Also, we ALL do fall off the wagon, sometimes really badly. $100 isn't peanuts, but it isn't $1,000s either!

Judi

**Jeanna** · 04-16-2009, 09:54 AM

I would say enjoy the clothes and just get back on the budget. I think when we get into the "we can't have anything" mode it really pulls us down. Just enjoy them and move on.

**madhen** · 04-16-2009, 10:03 AM

I think self-esteem plays a role in our behaviour. If you needed some new clothes, and they make you feel good when you wear them, then I think they were worth the financial cost.

**onencgirl** · 04-16-2009, 10:11 AM

Enjoy what you got... It doesn't sound like this is something you make a habit of doing.

**WV_mom_of2** · 04-16-2009, 11:02 AM

I fall off the wagon every once in a while too! I think everyone deserves a treat/splurge once in a while. Enjoy those new clothes!

**mommy4ever** · 04-16-2009, 01:14 PM

The "secret" of success in debt repayment and budgetting, is to allow for a little "splurge" now and then. You NEED to have an entertainment budget, whether it's $5/mo to rent a movie or $25 for a dinner out. It won't set you back to have that in the budget. Clothing needs to be in the budget too, provided your closets aren't over flowing with unworn tags still on them. $100 twice a year is really really reasonable.

But if you DON'T have those in place, you run the risk of failing completely. You get to feel so deprived and feel like you're getting nowhere and then you just quit and go on a spending binge like there's no tomorrow and you've set yourself a couple years back. Not good.

So look at the budget, can you set aside $10-20/mo for a clothing budget for yourself? So when you find that little top, or skirt that calls your name you can buy it guilt free?

I have that spending account set up, and often still feel guilty for using it, but at least I can remind myself that the money was set aside just for that reason.